Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 11th July 2023

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 2,456

Top price per kg: 338p – Eastlands Farm
Top price per head: £158 – Jan Boomaars

Quite a big entry this week with just a shade under 2,500 lambs on offer. A BIG variation in quality with the grass-fed types now finding it hard to keep up with intensive finished types in terms of price per kilo. The two tiers are very evident with, maybe, £20 per head in difference in prices with not a huge gap in terms of weights. Best lambs were still over £3 kg in many places, topping at 338p, but heavier sorts that were well finished on pellets were often over £140 to a top of £158 from Jan Boomaars with others from C Ely, G H Dean & Co and Mrs Katie Tucker selling at over £145. It seems to be the forecast that these best lambs are going to hold up to the prices they are currently but the second quality prices will be reduced based on the level of numbers that come out on to the market.

34kg – £115.00 (338p/kg) – Eastlands Farm
35kg – £94.00 (269p/kg) – B & M Coleman Ltd
36kg – £88.00 (244p/kg) – W Cooke & Son (Farmers) Ltd
37kg – £110.00 (297p/kg) – C Woodhead
38kg – £117.00 (308p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
39kg – £122.50 (314p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
40kg – £128.50 (321p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
41kg – £135.50 (330p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
42kg – £128.00 (305p/kg) – Pynn Contractors Ltd
43kg – £129.00 (300p/kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
44kg – £137.00 (311p/kg) – K Tucker
45kg – £136.00 (302p/kg) – P N & C Burden
46kg – £140.00 (304p/kg) – Miss G Jackson
47kg – £142.50 (303p/kg) – P N & C Burden
48kg – £147.50 (307p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
49kg – £145.00 (296p/kg) – L Stevens & Sons
50kg – £145.00 (290p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
51kg – £144.00 (282p/kg) – R G Hobbs Farms
52kg – £150.00 (288p/kg) – C Ely
53kg – £158.00 (298p/kg) – Jan Boomaars
55kg – £146.00 (265p/kg) – K Tucker

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 440 – Top 338, Average 258.5
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 1,599 – Top 330, Average 276.9
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 402 – Top 307, Average 289.6
Other 52.1+ kgs – 9 – Top 298, Average 273.2

Cull Sheep – 503 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £170.00 – Jan Boomaars, Average £84.58

A larger number on offer with a lot of the earlier lambing flocks starting to draw their culls out. The best ewes regularly £100 – £120 and to a top price of £170 from Jan Boomaars for a pen of tremendous Texel ewes. Medium sorts £70 – £90 on most occasions with leaner grazing sorts £40 – £60 and only very few worst sold below these figures. Trade not as strong as it has been overall but still a fair trade considering the numbers coming out nationally.

Top prices included

Texel to £170 – Jan Boomaars, Charollais to £130 – Jan Boomaars, Charollais cross to £130 – Eastlands Farm, Suffolk cross to £129 – S T Phillips, Romneys to £101 – F & L Reeve, Mules to £90 – T Lyle & Partners

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  55 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A good entry in terms of numbers with plenty of flesh on offer though some might have benefitted from being sold a little earlier.
The trade has eased back over recent weeks in part due to national supplies increasing as last year’s suckler bred stock, particularly bulls in the North, are coming forward in numbers and in part simply down the midsummer season and the disruption to consumer patterns with holidays underway. Prices have risen considerably for a long time and a little realignment was never not going to happen! The seasonal easing of lamb is another factor and, of course, there is pressure on retailers from government to see food prices ease back.
The best of the cattle still up over 300p kg and £2000. M B Farms quality heifers sold to 313p, £2063, and all over 300p. Smart show animals from S Marsh topped the steers also at 313p, with his Limousin heifer at 303p £1784. W G Vant & Sons sold to 275p and a well finished run of continental heifers from A J Thompson & Sons sold to 274p, £1641, and generally 250-260p. A run of leaner continental heifers from J Hooker & Son, with the potential for further flesh, sold to 251p showing the long term confidence in the sector.
Good, fleshed natives in short supply. Angus steers, again probably to feed, from R G Gibson & Son to 247p, £1619 whilst Sussex heifers from J Hooker & Son looked well sold to 254p.
The run of dairy bred steers from A J Down enjoyed the best of the competition with well fleshed Limousin and Friesian steers selling to 248p, £1559 and 230p, £1228 respectively. A few lesser shaped types a little harder to place.
A nice Angus bull 204p, £1343 from B G & M A Tomsett.

Top Steers

S Marsh – Limousin cross – 313p/kg (£1546)
A J Down – Limousin cross – 248p/kg (£1559)
R G Gibson & Son – Aberdeen Angus cross – 247p/kg (£1503)

Top Heifers

M B Farms – Limousin cross – 313p/kg (£2063)
M B Farms – Limousin cross – 305p/kg – (£1918)
M B Farms – Limousin – 304pkg (£1851)
S Marsh – Limousin cross 303p/kg (£1784)
M B Farms – British Blue cross – 300p/kg (£1961)

Average Prices

Steers to 550kg – 3 sold – Top 313p – Ave 253p
Steers 551 to 650kg – 9 sold – Top 248p – Ave 239p
Steers over 651kg – 9 sold – Top 244p – Ave 229p
Heifers to 500kg – 9 sold – Top 261p – Ave 250p
Heifers 501 to 590kg – 11 sold – Top 303p – Ave 262p
Heifers over 591kg – 12 sold – Top 313p – Ave 263p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 24 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A very small entry of cows, and overage, this week and rates are certainly less.
This is more of a seasonal issue with the onset of holidays, particularly in France where much of the processing sector that take many of the strong beef cows shuts down for a fortnight having been particularly active in the run up to their Bastille holiday period.
Historically rates remain very good, and we shall see how the trade develops later in the summer. Certainly, supply is not out there and that will not change in a hurry!
No real quality types, and a lot of age on offer, but a decent Limousin cow 181p, £1246 though the older plainer cows, with the best of the grazing now gone, are 80-170p depending on potential and age.
Limousin x 181p, £1246 R F & E A Simmons, 175p, £1065 Mrs S E Husk; Hereford x 161p, £1108 Gillshaw Farms; Sussex 159p, £1165 L Turner; 158p, £969 H W Richards.
Just a handful from the dairy and it is the good, fleshed cows that are wanted.
British Friesian 167p, 158p, 156p, £1141, £1089, £1079 B J Goodsell & Son; Holstein Friesian 154p, £1082 W F Farms.
Overage saw only lightweights on offer with an Australian Lowline steer at 175p, Dexter steer at 136p, Dexter heifer at £125p.

Beef Cows – 16 Sold – Top 181, Average 133.5
Dairy Cows – 4 Sold – Top 167, Average 158.8

Store & Breeding Cattle – 4 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Just a few bits and bobs this week but customers around the ring.
Looks like a nice show midsummer entry for next week with cows and calves and store cattle already entered.

Pigs – 22 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

An absolutely flying trade for all classes of pigs sold today with records smashed!
More definitely required.
Finished (18) – More numbers needed to meet significant demand! Tops of 240p pk from C B Hope for Bacon pigs, with J Howie topping the price per head with Baconers to £271.40! Average for bacon pigs £254 or 234p. Weight certainly the order of the day though lighter pigs with flesh well sold with Cutters averaging 231p or £204  topping at 234p or £210.60 from C B Hope. Porkers averaging 230p or £184 and topping at 235p from Miss J Judge or £189.75 from C Higgins.
Sows (4) – One single pen of well fleshed sows weighing in at just short of 250kgs selling on a strong trade to 90p or £218.25 per head! All types of sows required to fill orders!
Stores – None forward which is a shame following the trade of the last few sales. Strong enquires still coming forward for stores. If you have any on the ground it may be worth considering cashing them now rather than waiting until seasonal demand has declined for the finished pigs.

A polite request to all vendors to please pre enter all pigs on the Monday morning prior to a pig sale. This is to help us to help you by ensuring that buyers are kept up to date with entries.

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 18th July 2023

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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