Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 19th March 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Finished Hoggets – 1,857 Sold

Top price per kg: 488p – T Husk
Top price per head: £240 – T Husk

Once again, a simply electric trade from start to finish, with heavy hoggets just off the scale of all pricing in the past. 350 hoggets sold this week that were north of £200 head, with top on the day coming down at £240 from Tom Husk who also sold a superb pen of shaped hoggets at 488p/kg this week (49kgs @ £239). The middle weighted sheep this week on paper look to be a fraction less than last week but this would be based on quality more so than the trade, which was on a par. The trade shows no signs of easing but prices are beginning to reach levels that are unheard of, and, perhaps, cannot be sustained, as a leg of lamb can only cost so much on the shelves before other alternatives are the preference based on cost. We have lucrative export and ethnic markets for lambs in the UK, which is the main driving factors of our pricing, however I doubt it can last at these levels once a large amount of new season lambs come on to the market.

36kg – £138.00 (383p/kg) – C Woodhead
37kg – £149.00 (403p/kg) – I Lucas
38kg – £139.00 (366p/kg) – M & R Morton Ltd
39kg – £166.50 (427p/kg) – I Lucas
40kg – £185.00 (463p/kg) – T Archer
41kg – £164.00 (400p/kg) – H Rivers
42kg – £171.00 (407p/kg) – A Rivers
43kg – £190.00 (442p/kg) – T Husk
44kg – £189.00 (430p/kg) – I Lucas
45kg – £184.00 (409p/kg) – L Stevens & Sons
46kg – £186.00 (404p/kg) – W Mandry Ltd
47kg – £204.00 (434p/kg) – Bungehurst Farms Ltd
48kg – £217.00 (452p/kg) – T Husk
49kg – £239.00 (488p/kg) – T Husk
50kg – £210.00 (420p/kg) – S Henden
51kg – £224.00 (439p/kg) – T Husk
52kg – £218.00 (419p/kg) – Bungehurst Farms Ltd
53kg – £230.00 (434p/kg) – T Husk
54kg – £230.00 (426p/kg) – T Husk
55kg – £230.00 (418p/kg) – T Husk
56kg – £228.00 (407p/kg) – S Henden
57kg – £200.00 (351p/kg) – C Woodhead
58kg – £218.50 (377p/kg) – S Henden
59kg – £227.00 (385p/kg) – T Husk
60kg – £230.00 (383p/kg) – T Husk
61kg – £240.00 (393p/kg) – T Husk
62kg – £235.00 (379p/kg) – T Husk
65kg – £227.00 (349p/kg) – G W Bridges
67kg – £230.00 (343p/kg) – G W Bridges
68kg – £226.00 (332p/kg) – H F & J H Glover 

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 423 – Top 427, Average 359.2
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 699 – Top 463, Average 364.9
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 442 – Top 488, Average 378.7
Other 52.1+ kgs – 289 – Top 434, Average 376.2

Store Sheep – 631 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

A smaller number of stores this week and overall, considerably less quality and size on offer, which certainly lowered the prices on paper. Stores still topped at £140 this week with several other pens over £130 head. Longer term sorts were easier to buy with several end of the run types on offer but often trading from £90-100 head.

Cull Sheep – 519 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £160 – Miss Georgia Jackson – Ave £93.96
Ram: Top £158 – S J Reeve & Son – Ave £85.91

Another good number in pens with the trade remaining strong for all grades of ewes. The best regularly £115 – £135 with the smarter ewes exceeding this, to a top price of £160 from Miss Georgia Jackson for strong Texels. Medium sorts £80 – £100 on most occasions with leaner grazing types £50 – £70 throughout, with very few sold below these figures. We have regular buyers forward every week for all grades of ewes so do not hesitate to get your ewes booked in.

Top prices included

Texels to £160 – Miss Georgia Jackson, Charollais to £156 – H Rivers, Suffolk cross to £149 – T Husk, Beltex to £140 – T Archer, Mules to £116 – M R Woodroofe, Romneys to £119 – A J W Smith & Son

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  86 Sold

Auctioneer:Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A tremendous day in the fat section with strong numbers of well fleshed cattle meeting a strong trade from the very start to the very end. A few extra finished buyers added to the support with the wholesale market recognising that numbers nationally will stay tight, and in this quarter shorten further as yards are emptied, cattle turned out and minds even turn to silaging and the start to another year in farming.
Best of the cattle well over 300p kg with a new RECORD PRICE of 342p kg for a Blue x Limousin heifer from M B Farms, their steers selling to 328p kg, £2267. G L Boulden & Sons and W G Vant & Sons saw their heifers fly past 300p kg selling to 314p and 313p, respectively.
The best beef bred, well finished cattle are a superb trade and were complimented by a tremendous run of 22 Simmental cross cattle from T Pateman & Sons, Hertfordshire with both steers and heifers to 278p kg grossing to £2123 and £1854, respectively.
Fewer dairy bred within the entry but all in demand. Well finished Hereford x Friesian steers from Alan Down to 226p, £1553; his Friesian steers to 247p, £1417. Natives, always, finding demand at all levels with the few leaner cattle taken on strongly. Angus x steers to 274p, £1573 M J Ashworth, Angus heifers from W K Gutsell to 264p, £1522. Sussex heifers from R C & J L Pickering & Sons to 263p, £1614, steers to 257p, £1411 from W S Furnival Ltd

Top Steers

M B Farms – Limousin – 328p/kg (£2080)
M B Farms – Limousin – 322p/kg (£2267)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde cross – 314p/kg (£1850)
W G Vant & Sons – Limousin cross – 302p/kg (£1824)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 296p/kg (£1995)

Top Heifers

M B Farms – British Blue – 342p/kg (£1895)
M B Farms – Limousin – 333p/kg (£2095)
M B Farms – Limousin – 323p/kg (£1983)
W G Vant & Sons – Limousin cross – 313p/kg (£1844)
Leggat Farming Ltd – Limousin cross – 297p/kg (£1794)

Average Prices

Steers up to 550kg – 9 sold – Top 280p – Ave 260p
Steers 551 to 650kg – 23 sold – Top 328p – Ave 265p
Steers over 651kg – 12 sold – Top 322p – Ave 266p
Heifers up to 500kg – 4 sold – Top 254p – Ave 217p
Heifers 501 to 590kg – 21 sold – Top 342p – Ave 272p
Heifers over 591kg – 17 sold – Top 333p – Ave 269p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 58 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

What a trade today! A few dry days did wonders for the confidence of graziers and the older harder cows took another leap forward as turnout is now certain. Meat cows, as numbers decline, were also dearer as buyers, and their processors, recognise that numbers can only get shorter.
Nothing exceptional forward today but good shaped commercial cows readily 200-230p kg with the straight forward meat 170-200p kg. Feeding cows very dear.
More cows wanted so please have a look through your late calving cows to see whether they are really in calf.
Limousin x 229p, £1360 R F & E A Simmons, 228p, 214p, 209p, £1445, £1260, £1178 Beaute Agri; 199p, £1072 F S Husk; Charolais x 201p, £1223 (Non FA) G J Ostridge, 187p, £1296 R J T Farm Lands; Angus x 192p, £1226 R J T Farm Lands, 188p, £1303 (Non FA) B G & M A Tomsett, 178p, £1260 R F & E A Simmons; Hereford x 176p, £1386 J S & M I Tilley; Longhorn 166p, £976 (Non FA) M R Cullen; Sussex 160p, £1212 Wright Farm Partnership.
Dairy culls sharp throughput with the tidy strong cows 160-180p kg. Lean steakers looking well sold. Foreign cows still being penalised, ridiculously, by the major processors who continue to have little, or no respect, for their producers.
British Friesian 175p, 159p, 149p, £1220, £1203, £1178 G D & E E Field; Holstein Friesian 162p, £1171 J W Boyd & Sons Ltd; 160p, £1300 D Murdoch & Sons; Foreign Holstein cows 136p, 112p, 110p, 108p, £982, £903, £898; Danish Red 144p, £789; Jersey 106p, 104p, £522, £503 Hickson Bros.
Bulls (3) Continuing strong trade for the fleshed bulls.
Charolais 150p, £1779; Angus 140p, £1479; Hereford 140p, £1514.
Overage (6) Just a few forward but all a strong trade. OTM Blue x heifer 260p, £1570; OTM Angus heifer 213p, £871; 3 x Limousin x heifers 227p, £1280; 3 x Limousin x steers 208p, £1245.

Beef Cows – 30 Sold – Top 229, Average 174.4
Dairy Cows –21 Sold – Top 175, Average 128.2

Store Cattle – 286 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

A decent entry of stores with an excellent show of cattle in the pens, and a large number being single suckled beef bred types. The combination of the weather starting to look more promising and the quality of the cattle on the day certainly brought the buyers out with the intention of filling lorries. The strongest steers topped at £1790 from Friday Street Farmers for their 18 month home bred Limousin steers, with their heifers to £1390. A J Bray had a smashing run of yearling Limousin steers with plenty of strength about them reaching highs of £1390, with M J Ashworth marginally exceeding this with their yearlings to £1395. Hard out wintered types remain in strong demand with groups now being got together for turning out onto grass which is certainly now starting to look more achievable. We will have store cattle sales more regularly now in the coming weeks so please keep a close watch online and if you have cattle to sell do not hesitate to get in contact and get them booked in.

Principal Prices include:

Steers

18mths Limousin cross – £1790 – Friday Street Farmers
19mths British Blue x Friesian – £1560 – D & D Mullett
19mths Angus cross – £1520 – K M Goddard Agri Contractors
23mths Hereford x Friesian – £1455 – North Kent College
13mths Limousin cross – £1395 – M J Ashworth
12mths Angus cross – £1200 – M J Ashworth
10mths Simmental cross – £880 – T Pateman & Sons
17mths Sussex – £810 – J D Hickman

Heifers

25mths Hereford x Friesian – £1325 – North Kent College
19mths British Blue x Friesian – £1210 – K M Goddard Agri Contractors
13mths Limousin cross – £1485 – M J Ashworth
12mths Angus cross – £1260 – M J Ashworth
15mths Charolais cross – £1110 – Rhino Plant
10mths Simmental cross – £890 – T Pateman & Sons
16mths Sussex – £740 – J D Hickman

Store & Finished Pigs – 45 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished (40) – A harder trade today with overall demand down from the fortnight previous. Best still a cracking trade with tops of 170p or £170 per head from C B Hope. Fleshy pigs with 80kgs plus frame in the 120p to 150p region depending upon quality and size. Anything lighter or more out of spec heavily discounted. It would be worth considering feeding for longer before sending lighter pigs to market!
Cull (2) – Two sows forward today with tops of 40p from Paley Farm Ltd, overall average 35p.
Store (3) Just 3 Middle Whites in the store section today from young producer Miss Ella Phelan with a price of £53 per head achieved. 

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 – 26th March 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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