Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 20th January 2026

Sheep Sales Reports

Finished Hoggets – 1,177 sold.

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top price per kilo – 363p – D J Long, Kent.
Top price per head – £164.00 D Houghton-Judge, Kent.

Certainly, a harder job today for the auctioneer with demand nationally dropping off for the hoggets as retail and export demand for meat is at a ‘Blue January’ low.  The Christmas “hangover” period lasts at least until payday at the end of January, and we are feeling the effects of this in the meat trade, with pubs, restaurants and butcher`s shops very quiet. Remaining positive, this will come to an end with pay coming in, and cards being settled, and trade should recover to a more acceptable level. Saying this, the handy and light weight lambs on offer have sold on a very similar level to last week with the sqq averages up by 4p kg on a like for like basis. However, it is the heavier sheep that are most affected and where we saw the real change in demand with the price back by some £10 head in places.  There is no need for panic, with plenty of the season ahead of us for a change in demand and we must note that prices for home bred “farmers” sheep are still quite appealing, but the purchased stores, that are re-presented, that are struggling to face the trade at these rates.

30 – £109.00 (363p kg) – D J Long
31 – £109.00 (352p kg) – D J Long
33 – £114.00 (345p kg) – S T Phillips
34 – £111.50 (328p kg) – Port View Farm Ltd
35 – £125.00 (357p kg) – J & P Carr (Farms) Ltd
36 – £118.00 (328p kg) – J & P Carr (Farms) Ltd
37 – £128.00 (346p kg) – J Funnell
38 – £131.00 (345p kg) – Port View Farm Ltd
39 – £136.00 (349p kg) – S King
40 – £135.50 (339p kg) – S T Phillips
41 – £137.00 (334p kg) – S King
42 – £148.00 (352p kg) – S King
43 – £144.50 (336p kg) – S King
44 – £142.50 (324p kg) – S King
45 – £153.00 (340p kg) – S King
46 – £146.00 (317p kg) – G P King
47 – £145.00 (309p kg) – C Watkins
48 – £161.00 (335p kg) – R F & E A Simmons
49 – £151.50 (309p kg) – S King
50 – £152.00 (304p kg) – High Loxley Park
51 – £150.00 (294p kg) – R F & E A Simmons
53 – £156.00 (294p kg) – High Loxley Park
54 – £162.00 (300p kg) – High Loxley Park
55 – £140.00 (255p kg) – R F & E A Simmons
58 – £140.00 (241p kg) – W Cooke & Son (Farmers) Ltd
60 – £155.00 (258p kg) – R F & E A Simmons
61 – £164.00 (269p kg) – D Houghton-Judge

Averages (p/kg)

Light 25.6 to 32 – 51 – Top 363, Ave. 350.0
Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 220 – Top 357, Ave. 330.3
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 390 – Top 352, Ave. 320.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 390 – Top 340, Ave. 293.4
Others 52.1 + – 124 – Top 300, Ave. 272.7

Store Hoggets  978 – Sold

Auctioneers: John Rossiter 07557 392903.

Top price head – £130.00 Miss H Challis, Kent.

Close to a 1,000 store lambs on offer today with many vendors now deciding to off load hoggs after the poor weather.
Demand for this was very strong, even more so if you take into consideration the prices, we had seen in the finished pens just beforehand. Overall, the average was very similar to last week at £111, despite the fact there was an entry of almost 50% Romney bred lambs. Top on the day was £130 for some smart Texel cross ewe lambs for Harriet Challis with NZ Romney types from Kaiapoi Consulting topping their section at £125 head. Longer term sorts were below £100 head this week but any lambs with strength were over £100.
We will see more of these each week as this trade certainly look more appealing than finishing big lambs….

Cull Sheep – 436 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Top price ewes: £300.00 – N C & C G Hedges, East Sussex. – Ave. £131.69

A few less in the pens but a decent trade seen throughout with larger numbers of empty scanned ewes forward, which is the case nationally. The best regularly £140 – £180, and to a top price of £300 from N C & C G Hedges for their superb Texels with others £252 from the same home. Medium sorts £110 – £140 on most occasions, with leaner grazing types £70 – £100 throughout with only a very small percentage sold below these figures.
Please do inform me of any large consignments of ewes you have to sell in the coming weeks with buyers present every week for all grades.

Top prices included:

Texels to £300 – N C & C G Hedges, Beltex to £260 – C A Worley Farming Ltd, Texel cross to £225, C A Worley Farming Ltd, Charollais to £220 – N C & C G Hedges, Suffolk cross to £184 – Kingswood Farmers, Mules to £155 – Masters Farms, Romneys to £150 – R L Goodman & Son.

Ear Tags in Sheep
Please be aware of your responsibilities with regard to the tagging of sheep of all ages and in all sections of the market.

Cattle Reports

Finished Cattle –  39 Sold
Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

With the January blues affecting the consumer it is perhaps no surprise that wholesale meat prices are also easing. Supply, which is tight nationally and worldwide, will remain a strong driver but producers will see a little less in price, as is so often the case at this time of the year. Rates easier today but nothing dramatic, and, in fact, more customers around the ring to buy at the lesser rates.
Best cattle in short supply, perhaps being retained to maximise weight and condition, and selling well to 405p, £2488 for Limousin heifers from D W Ferguson Ltd, whilst Limousin steers from W Alexander (Shoreham) topped at 395p, £2367. A smart pair of Limousin heifers from J Tapley at 389p and 380p, whilst a Blonde steer and heifer combination from G L Boulden & Sons both made 376p.
Dairy bred types sold to 369p, £2379 for Limousin x Friesian steers from Alan Down whilst the more Holstein bred types 330-340p. Nicely finished handy weight Blue x Jersey heifers from Hickson Bros selling well to 338p, £1721
Some nice Native bred cattle forward which saw Angus heifers to 382p, £2346 from D W Ferguson. Hereford steer 374p, £2241, Sussex steer 356p, £2240 W S Furnival Ltd. Sussex heifers 362p, 361p A H Hoad & Son.

Top Steers

W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 395p (£2367)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 385p (£2230)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde D’Aquitaine – 377p (£2447)
W S Furnival Ltd – Hereford cross – 374p (£2241)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 369p (£2322)

Top Heifers

D W Ferguson Ltd – Limousin cross – 405p (£2488)
J Tapley – Limousin cross – 389p (£2137)
D W Ferguson Ltd – Aberdeen Angus cross – 382p (£2346)
J Tapley – Limousin cross – 380p (£2163)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde D’Aquitaine – 377p (£2334)

Average prices

Steers 200 to 550 kg – 1 – Top 338p – Ave. 338p
Steers 551 to 650 kg – 17 – Top 395p – Ave. 363p
Steers 651 kg + – 3 – Top 353p – Ave. 331p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg -2 – Top 362p – Ave. 339p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 6 – Top 389p – Ave. 366p
Heifers 591 kg + – 10 – Top 405p – Ave. 362p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 53 Sold
Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

Great to see good numbers coming through this ring, with this week very much showing a leaning to the dairy sector with the associated problem of milk pricing going forward.
Rates are holding very strong with demand for cheaper processing beef at this time of the year in the ascendency, as well as much of the better beef cow sides and higher value cuts following an export route.
Best beef cows to kill or feed still breaking the 300p and £2500 barriers but sadly too few of these on offer and more of the older feeders being culled in a difficult winter for housing.
Limousin 312p, 292p, £2476, £2401 L E Humphreys & Sons, 280p, £2082 Gardners; Angus 304p, £1851 T Lyle & Ptnrs; Charolais 280p, £2488 N Morgan; South Devon 264p (2) £2543, £1989 Gardners; British Blue 245p, £1895 T Lyle & Ptnrs.
A strong show of cows from the dairies and mostly well fleshed dry cows alongside some lower yield milkers. Good cows at over 250p and £2000 is a great help to milk producers in the moment but bigger issues over in and out of profile milk pricing is certain to cause problems in the sector.
British Friesian 259p, 255p, 250p, 247p, 244p, £1934, £1887, £1787, £1734 Debden Court, 248p, £1819 Parrett & Son; Holstein Friesian 255p, 244p, 243p, 240p (2) £2033, £1820, £1806 J W Boyd & Sons Ltd, 253p, £2209 D Murdoch & Sons; Norwegian Red 231p, £2178 D Murdoch & Sons; Jersey 234p, 198p, £1202, £1017 Hickson Bros, 176p, 163p £948 S E Lane & Ptnrs.
Overage (10) Still holding very firm with mostly awkward Black & Whites on offer this week but selling well to kill and feed. Under 3 year old feeders a strong trade.
Beef Shorthorn OTM heifer 339p, £1811, Blue x Fries OTM steer 318p, £1778, Holstein Friesian OTM steer 279p, £1756 OTM C Kearl; Holstein Friesian 3+ steers 283p, 281p, £2113, £1921 R Scott.

Beef Cows – 21 Sold – Top 312, Average 244.8
Dairy Cows – 22 Sold – Top 259, Average 227.6

Store & Breeding Cattle – 28 Sold
Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Small numbers present this week with a good sale next week, but with every shape and size you could think of penned to suit everyone ringside.
Top call on the day went to W K Gutsell with 20 mth Aberdeen Angus cross heifers to £1780, Kent Game Shooting had hard dairy bred sorts well sold with their 16 mth Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers topping at £1180. British Blue x Friesian heifers 17 mths from W G & T A Manford to £1380.
A larger sale of 300 plus expected for Tuesday 27^th January so please do not hesitate to get in contact if you have store or breeding cattle to sell.

Calves – 30 Sold
Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A smaller show of calves, as to be expected, met a decent trade but without the fireworks of last week`s entry of stronger and older calves.
British Blue bulls to £460 J W Boyd & Sons Ltd, their heifers £325, £300 whilst other Blue heifers from T Castle & Son to £390 and £350.
Angus bulls to £405 Parrett & Son, their heifers £360, £335, £305. Other Angus heifers from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd to £325 and £300.
Limousin bulls £390 and £335, heifers £330 (2) T Castle & Son. Well-bred Black & Whites, 6 wks, from A & W J Hitchcock to £300 and £260.
Crossbred Blue bulls from Hickson Bros to £220, £200, £180; heifers to £200.

Bull Calves
British Blue cross – 7 – Ave. £251.43 – Top £460.00 – J W Boyd & Sons Ltd.
Limousin cross – 2 – Ave. £362.50 – Top £390.00 – T Castle & Son.
Aberdeen Angus cross – 3 – Ave. £355.00 – Top £405.00 – Parrett & Son.
Holstein Friesian – 2 – Ave. £280.00 – Top £300.00 – A & W J Hitchcock.

Heifer Calves
British Blue cross – 8 – Ave. £275.00 – Top £390.00 – T Castle & Son.
Limousin cross – 2 – Ave. £330.00 – Top £330.00 – T Castle & Son.
Aberdeen Angus cross – 5 – Ave. £302.00 – Top £360.00 – Parrett & Son

Ear Tags

Producers are reminded that all cattle require two ear tags with at least one large distance readable tag. Please inspect stock in good time to order replacement tags as, regrettably, any stock that are incorrectly tagged may not be offered for sale. Local authority inspectors will be taking note as stock comes to market.

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