A family-owned southwestern Manitoba auction house has halted its cattle sales.
Taylor Auctions, operating at Melita, about 130 km southwest of Brandon, will no longer directly auction cattle, the Taylor family announced Thursday in a notice to customers.
The company cited the "extreme" expense for needed upgrades, a shortage in available labour and "diminishing cattle numbers."
The Taylors stressed in their notice that the business is not completely shutting down and will continue to help its customers market their cattle.
The company said it has joined forces with the auction marketing arm of Edmonton's Nilsson Bros., and with the Prairie auction market chain Heartland Livestock Services.
Working with NBI and Regina-based HLS will provide "more options" for customers and allow the Taylors to stay "very active in the livestock business," the company said.
The Taylors' announcement follows HLS's own recent closure of its Regina livestock market. Heartland now refers that facility's customers to Heartland markets at Moose Jaw and Yorkton.
Taylor Auctions' Melita business was an arm of Ross Taylor Auction Service, operated for eight years at Reston, Man. by Ross and Pat Taylor, who have co-owned the company since May 2009 with Brock and Kelly Taylor.
-- CNSC, with files from AGCanada.com Network staff
