LOCAL POLITICIANS have been offered a last chance to get behind a campaign to save Perth Mart after details were announced last night of a public meeting.

Former provost and prominent local farmer Alex Murray has set up the “Action for Auction” meeting on December 1 at 7.30pm at Dewar’s Centre.

At the end of it he hopes the start of a battle plan will have been formulated.

United Auctions has already committed to the amalgamation of its Perth and Stirling operations at the new Stirling Agricultural Centre.

As a result, the mart— home of the world-renowned Perth Bull Sales—will cease to trade from next summer.

Perth and Kinross Council initially expressed disappointment at United Auctions’ decision, saying it could have a significant adverse impact upon the sector.

But subsequent meetings with local parliamentarians and members of the Perth and Kinross Agricultural Forum proved a huge disappointment to members of the farming community.

Mr Murray has now issued an open invitation to local councillors, MSPs and MPs to attend the meeting and help preserve a market for Perth.

He said yesterday, “Every time I go out people approach me about this subject.

“We have one of the most famous markets in the world and surely, with aid from the European common market and locally, we should be able to keep it.

“If not, farmers will be forced to go either to Stirling or Forfar, which isn’t good enough.

“There are a lot of farmers around Perthshire who fatten up sheep each winter and wish to sell some off every week.

“Anybody who has an interest in the future welfare of Perthshire is welcome to come to the meeting, and that includes politicians.

“We’re giving them all a chance, all denominations, as long as they have the area’s best interests at heart.

“By the end of the meeting it will be decided whether to do nothing or to do something.

“If it’s to do something then hopefully we’ll be able to set up a steering committee to take things forward.”

The council has claimed to have been in talks with parties interested in taking on the mart.

A spokeswoman said in the autumn, “The council has been encouraging discussions with potentially interested parties on any options for retaining an agricultural mart locally.

“We do not know if these discussions will ultimately lead to a successful outcome but we will provide any support we can to anyone interested in taking such a proposal forward.

“It should be made clear that it would be up to those interested to pursue the proposal.

“The council’s role would purely be to provide any support it could.”

When political clout appeared to be lacking on the issue, Mr Murray said the farming community will have to “grab the bull by the horns” if the mart is to have a future.