Pump is Top Lot at Rugby Farmers Mart

A Landia (UK) chopper pump is keeping control of slurry at one of the UK’s leading livestock markets.

Supplied by Midland Slurry Systems, the 7.5kW Landia DG pump feeds a separator at Rugby Farmers Mart (RFM), based at the National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh Park. Owned and run by farmers, the state-of-the-art market runs every Monday (and seasonal Fridays), with around 3,500 to 4,000 prime lambs, ewes, fat cattle and calves for sale.

Continually removing solids and discharging the treated wastewater during almost two and a half days of the post-market clean-up operation, the Landia chopper pump replaced a unit from a different manufacturer that couldn’t cope with the solids.

Tom Wrench, RFM’s General Manager/Auctioneer, said: “The Landia pump does a very good job and with Midland Slurry Systems, we have a finely tuned system in place that meets the high standards we need for an operation of this size, which is continuing to grow. The pump needs to boss the separator – not the other way round – which the Landia unit does without any trouble”.

Giles Russell, Managing Director of Midland Slurry Systems, whose grandfather was an auctioneer at what was Rugby Cattle Market, added: “The external cutting system of the Landia chopper pump works a treat at RFM, where it is certainly put through its paces after the auction.  During the high season it operates for over 100 hours per week, with no blockages, requiring only very basic routine maintenance, once per year”.

Float-switch controlled, the Landia chopper pump removes solids and discharges wastewater at a rate of 5,000 gallons per hour to suit the process at RFM, which has cattle/sheep penning and a sales ring all under one roof. Founded in 2006 by a group of 250 farmers (following the closure of the market close to Rugby railway station), Rugby Farmers Mart now attracts farmers from all over the Midlands and beyond.