Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 2nd June 2026

Sheep Sales Reports

New Season Lambs – 951 sold.

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top Price Per Head – £229 – MJ Ashworth, Lydd
Top Price Per Kilo – 504p/kg – P & E Andreozzi, West Sussex

To put the trade for the spring lambs into words, it was simply the dearest we have ever seen them. Ever. We have had some higher prices per head or for individual lambs in the past, but as the overall trade and averages show, this is the very top of the scale. The lack of hoggets on the market now, and the quality of the show of well finished lambs, has forced the processors to switch over most of their processing to the new season sorts, which in turn creates a boom in demand. Over 50 pens of lambs sold in excess of £200 per head and the whole entry averaged £195/hd. A superb run of lambs form MJ Ashworth averaged £211 for 170 lambs and were a credit to the producer, with Masters Farms showing over 200 lambs to average £209. Smart continental crosses, at export weights are where the prices are at their highest with P&E Andreozzi topping the day at 504p/kg for some very smart lambs. Will the trade stay up at this level? I think it is unlikely, particularly if several grass finished lambs come forward, but in recent times the trade has become very difficult to predict and constantly surprises us.

32 – £144.00 (450p kg) – S Bourne
34 – £160.00 (471p kg) – Messrs P H Hope
35 – £164.00 (469p kg) – S Bourne
36 – £167.00 (464p kg) – S W Mount & Sons
37 – £179.00 (484p kg) – C B Hope
38 – £176.00 (463p kg) – Messrs P H Hope
39 – £186.00 (477p kg) – S & V Bullock
40 – £197.00 (493p kg) – L Head
41 – £204.00 (498p kg) – D Hopper
42 – £202.00 (481p kg) – L Head
43 – £212.00 (493p kg) – P & E Andreozzi
44 – £218.00 (495p kg) – Masters Farms
45 – £227.00 (504p kg) – P & E Andreozzi
46 – £229.00 (498p kg) – P & E Andreozzi
47 – £222.00 (472p kg) – Masters Farms
48 – £224.00 (467p kg) – M J Ashworth
49 – £229.00 (467p kg) – M J Ashworth
50 – £218.00 (436p kg) – L Stevens & Sons
51 – £225.00 (441p kg) – Masters Farms
56 – £224.00 (400p kg) – Master Farms

Averages (p/kg)

Light 32.1 to 39kgs – 158 – Top 484, Ave. 449.3
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 506 – Top 504, Ave. 460.4
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 275 – Top 498, Ave. 466.1
Over 52.1 kgs – 3 – Top 400, Ave. 400.0

Finished Hoggets – 148 sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903.

Not many left now, and very variable in quality which returned a mixed trade with some highs and lows. Still selling in excess of £200 for any good heavy hoggs on offer and topping at £214/hd from Ross Douglas. With the switch over to new season lambs now evident, it will only be the best finished hoggets with weight that will command the best prices.

Averages (p/kg)

Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 41 – Top 453, Ave. 407.2
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 57 – Top 429, Ave. 387.6
Over 52.1 kgs + – 49 – Top 404, Ave. 366.1

Cull Sheep – 71 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

Top Price: £200 from S Fagg            Ave. £151.61

A flyer for all grades with a very small number penned which is no surprise with the consistent numbers we have been seeing ahead of last weeks Muslim festival, Eid al-Adha. The best were scarce and regularly £160 – £190 and to a top price of £200 from S Fagg for smart Texels. Medium sorts were the majority penned with these £130 – £160 on most occasions and leaner grazing types £100 – £130 with only a very few of these on offer.
More numbers are wanted and would be of no concern with buyers present every week for all grades.

Top prices included:

Texels to £200 – S Fagg, Texel cross to £191 – E J Stanford & Sons, Crossbred to £109 – M J Ashworth, Beltex cross to £184 – G & A Wood, Beltex to £182 – G P King, Charollais cross to £160 – A P Friend, Romneys to £149 – G P King.

Ewes & Lambs 152 sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

A few more couples on offer than last week with competition fierce and customers present for all grades. Top call went to C Watkins for one lamb Suffolk Cross ewes with Texel lambs topping at £141.50 per life with flock aged Mule ewes with Suffolk lambs to £140 per life from the same home. Flock aged Crossbred ewes with Charollais lambs to £118 per life from S Henden and Texel cross hoggs with Texel lambs from T G James (Farnham) to £116 per life.
We have a section available for couples every Tuesday so do not hesitate to get in contact if you have couples to sell in the coming weeks.

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 –  50 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

A better atmosphere today and rates more positive. With festival season now over abattoirs perhaps looking to focus on their beef kill a little more, and good to see at least one of the big supermarkets promoting and discounting some of their beef cuts.
Tidy handy weight Limousin heifers to 359p £1828 from W Alexander (Shoreham) Ltd whilst quality Limousin steers and heifers from RF&EA Simmons, and CR Cook both at 350p, £2307 and £2237 respectively. The stand out run of cattle this week the smart young bulls 14m from CR Cook selling to 372p £2378 (11 av. 347p £2175). More customers around the ring and hopefully the corner has been turned.
Better beef bred cattle 330-350p with again some heavyweights 310-320p but grossing up around £2500.
Another tremendous run of Limousin x Friesian steers, full of flesh and nicely covered, took top steer honours on the day selling to 354p twice £2503 (10 av. 343p £2300). Strong British Blue x Friesian heifer 308p £2291 Leggat Farming, British Friesian steer 308p £2091 B G & M A Tomsett.
Angus steers from Dan Mackleden sold to 341p & 340p £2332, £2207. Angus steer 318p £2492 Leggat Farming. Sussex steer 338p £2126 CR Cook; Hereford heifer 343p £1987 WS Furnival.
Young Bulls (11) Smart bred, well fed young bulls from CR Cook saw Limousin to 372p £2378, British Blue 360p £2373, Sussex to 350p £2150, Simmental 336p £2168.

Leading steer prices

A J Down – Limousin cross – 354p (£2244)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 354p (£2280)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 350p (£2306)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 349p (£2282)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 348p (£2224)

Leading heifer prices

W Alexander – Limousin cross – 359p (£1828)
C R Cook – Limousin cross – 350p (£2236)
W Alexander – Limousin cross – 348p (£1615)
W S Furnival Ltd – Hereford cross – 343p (£1986)
R F & E A Simmons – Limousin cross – 334p (£1973)

Average prices

Steers 551 to 650 kg – 12 – Top 354p – Ave. 335.5p
Steers 651 kg + – 14 – Top 350p – Ave. 333.5p
Heifers 300 to 500 kg – 3 – Top 348p – Ave. 334.6p
Heifers 501 to 590 kg – 4 – Top 359p – Ave. 340.6p
Heifers 591+ kg – 6 – Top 350p – Ave. 315.0p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 38 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

Not bad numbers for the day with quite a mixture on offer, but a trade that is holding up well with the sector remaining strong and positive.
Best shaped younger feeding cows to 342p £2254 from Richard Padfield, Mark Cross whilst a lean run of younger Black & White cows from Appleton Farms regularly taken to feed and selling up to 272p, way ahead of their slaughter values.
Limousin 342p £2254 R Padfield, 259p £2107 JS&MI Tilley; Sussex 282p, 268p £1516, £1431 HW Richards, 280p £1761 K&PM Sinden, 248p £1609 R Padfield, 251p £1566 JJ Dinnis & Ptnrs, 242p £1594 S Bryant; Angus 272p £1835 R Padfield, Hereford 269p, 254p £1866, £1775 JS&MI Tilley.
Mostly leaner cows forward from the dairy sector and demonstrating the advantages of the live market system as many of these can be taken for feeding bringing that additional competition to culls from the dairy sector. We are pleased that many ARLA producers will be able to market culls from the 1^st July without compromising their milk contracts.
Holstein Friesian 272p, 256p, 247p, 244p, 238p, 230p £1733, £1568, £1558, £1520, £1510 Appleton Farms; Jersey 225p, 173p, 166p £1167, £837, £828 Hickson Bros.
Stock Bulls (2) Good heavyweight Sussex 234p £2510; lean old Sussex 186p £1465. Both well sold.
Overage (4) Nicely fleshed older cattle met a good trade. Angus 3+ heifer 326p £1872, Limousin 3+ heifers 311p(2) £1894, £1863 Red Barn Farm; Norwegian Red 3+ heifer 245p £1553 D Murdoch & Sons.

Beef Cows – 16 Sold – Top 342, Average 247.5
Dairy Cows – 16 Sold – Top 272, Average 213.5

Store & Breeding Cattle – 7 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357.

An unexpected handful forward with Sussex steers 14 months from S Bryant to £1340 and Angus cross steers 15 months from K Bugden to £1455.
We will have a catalogue store and breeding sale next week with numbers already coming forward for this which will include a herd reduction of Pedigree Hereford cows with Hereford calves at foot. If you have cattle to sell in this sale please inform us by Friday 5^th June by 12pm in order to reach the catalogue.

Pigs – 17 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07780133678

A very quiet day in the pig section.
Only some lean coloured finished pigs forward, and not causing much excitement to 120p.
Quality strong weaners from CK Guest were exactly the right style of pigs for the future with gilts to £60, boars to £58.
If you have sows or boars to go, please let us know to enable arrangements to be in place for Tuesday 16^th June.

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