Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 20th February 2024

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Finished Hoggets – 1,780 Sold

Top price per kg: 380p – S B & A E Martin & P Gorringe
Top price per head: £173.50 – Miss A Hedges

What a trade! Speaking to many regulars, some considerably more “experienced” than myself, it was simply the strongest hogget trade that we have ever seen in Ashford Market. A SQQ average of 341p kg is unheard of, with hoggets selling up to 380p at the top end. Where will this stop? Can we hit £200 head and £4 kg? I am not sure as we can only sell meat products for so much but the numbers are not out there this year, and the imports are not coming to our shores so easily. The list of honours today was vast with sheep from P Gorringe, R F & E A Simmons, Harriet Heathcote and Beau Keeley all over £160 but it was Miss Amy Hedges at £173.50 that topped the day, with Luca proving to be a good luck charm on his first day out in market. Prices per kilo this week were certainly a step up on last week, with another 20p rise. Tops of 380p kg, taken jointly by Andrew Martin and Peter Gorringe, were certainly a record for a standard commercial Tuesday sale. Long may it last.

33kg – £120.00 (364p/kg) – M & R Morton Ltd
35kg – £133.00 (380p/kg) – S B & A E Martin
36kg – £134.50 (374p/kg) – S B & A E Martin
37kg – £137.00 (370p/kg) – M & R Morton Ltd
38kg – £138.50 (364p/kg) – S B & A E Martin
39kg – £139.00 (356p/kg) – S B & A E Martin
40kg – £138.50 (346p/kg) – S B & A E Martin
41kg – £139.50 (340p/kg) – R F & E A Simmons
42kg – £143.50 (342p/kg) – George Dallaway
43kg – £161.00 (374p/kg) – P Gorringe
44kg – £167.00 (380p/kg) – P Gorringe
45kg – £154.00 (342p/kg) – P Gorringe
46kg – £153.00 (333p/kg) – P Gorringe
47kg – £164.00 (349p/kg) – R F & E A Simmons
48kg – £152.00 (317p/kg) – Harriet Heathcote
49kg – £165.00 (337p/kg) – P Gorringe
50kg – £161.00 (322p/kg) – P Gorringe
51kg – £160.00 (314p/kg) – P Gorringe
52kg – £164.00 (315p/kg) – Harriet Heathcote
53kg – £169.00 (319p/kg) – R F & E A Simmons
58kg – £171.00 (295p/kg) – N C & C G Hedges
73kg – £173.50 (238p/kg) – Miss A Hedges 

Averages (p/kg) 

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 473 – Top 380, Average 357.8
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 681 – Top 380, Average 330.7
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 534 – Top 349, Average 311.4
Other 52.1+ kgs – 87 – Top 342, Average 298.9

Store Sheep – 1,087 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

This section was again the jewel in Ashford’s crown with store hoggets selling up to £139.50 from Vant and Claringbould and £139 from Mr Tom Hope. The average price for a store hogg this week was again in excess of £100 which shows real confidence in the trade, will it last? Who really knows but our advice would be to take advantage of these prices while they are available?

Cull Sheep – 557 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Ewe: Top £188.00 – Kingswood Farmers – Ave £89.43
Ram: Top £114.00 – G Johnson

A strong consistent trade throughout with less of the better fleshed ewes and with the majority in the pens being medium sorts. The best ewes regularly £110 – £130 to a top price of £188 for cracking Texel ewes from Kingswood Farmers. Medium sorts generally £75 – £95 with the leaner grazing types £45 – £65. The best fleshed ewes are really being well rewarded, but we do have regular buyers present every week for all grades of ewes and confidence is high. Do not hesitate to get in contact if you have ewes to sell.

Top prices included

Texels to £188 – Kingswood Farmers, Charollais to £170 – Miss A Hedges, Suffolk cross to £135 – D Isaac, Romney to £109 – F & L Reeve, Mules to £107 – Miss J A Biddle

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle –  61 Sold

Auctioneer:Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Good numbers once again and with trade conditions remaining strong and positive another very firm result throughout. Overall quality affected by a few more dairy bred cattle but well fleshed cattle of all grades strong, and anything a little leaner soon picked on for further feeding. Supplies remain tight wherever and with the sheep trade on fire there is little flexibility for retailers and caterers.
Top honours in both sections to M B Farms with a new RECORD commercial price of 332p for their very smart handy weight Limousin heifer, whilst their best steer realised 322p. Special mention also to S Marsh, G L Boulden & Sons, W Alexander (Shoreham), and W G Vant & Sons who all passed through the 300p barrier with their quality cattle.
Best beef types 275-320p whilst the dairy crossbred cattle topping close to 280p. A nice run of well fleshed British Friesian steers from A J Down sold to 260p, £1509; their Limousin x to 277p, £1618 and Hereford x steer to 266p. A strong British Blue x steer from M A & F W Owen sold to 266p, £1859. Little below 240p.
Native bred cattle always sought after with a smart Angus x steer from FGS Agri to 278p, £1471; others 267p, £1546 W S Furnival Ltd; 246p, £1780 Dan Mackelden Ltd; Hereford x steer 277p, £1700 W S Furnival Ltd; Sussex steer 260p, £1479 W S Furnival Ltd; Sussex heifer 263p, £1378 Dan Mackelden Ltd.

Top Steers

M B Farms – Limousin – 322p/kg (£2058)
S Marsh – British Blue cross – 320p/kg (£1885)
M B Farms – British Blue cross – 319p/kg (£2230)
S Marsh – British Blue cross – 290p/kg (£1780)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 290p/kg (£1650)

Top Heifers

M B Farms – Limousin – 332p/kg (£1757)
M B Farms – Limousin – 317p/kg (£1962)
G L Boulden & Sons – Blonde cross – 313p/kg (£1750)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 310p/kg (£1687)
W G Vant & Sons – Limousin cross – 303p/kg (£1800)

Average Prices

Steers up to 550kg – 12 sold – Top 278p – Ave 253p
Steers 551 to 650kg – 19 sold – Top 322p – Ave 270p
Steers over 651kg – 7 sold – Top 319p – Ave 268p
Heifers up to 500kg – 2 sold – Top 254p – Ave 252p
Heifers 501 to 590kg – 17 sold – Top 332p – Ave 280p
Heifers over 591kg – 4 sold – Top 317p – Ave 274p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 97 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

A marvellous show of cows with plenty of quality and good fleshing throughout. This is exactly what the buyers are after and with 14 successful customers on the day it shows the strength of our competition with both the feeding and slaughter cows, beef and dairy. Cows from across the South East and up into Essex, and more could easily be handled on a regular basis to vendors advantage.
Best of the beef cows surging past 200p with young cows/slips 220-250p. Commercial meat 170-200p with outstanding gross returns to up close to £1900 from Robert Humphreys. Feeding cows of all types in demand, and a strong grazing enquiry today as the grass grows despite being under water!  Hard sound grazers 170-200p with little below 150p.
Limousin x 224p, 191p (2), £1353 (Non FA) Price & Shelbourne, 216p, £1886 L E Humphreys & Sons, 215p, £1416 (Non FA) G Bates, 194p, 190p (2), £1635, £1516, £1402 FGS Agri; British Blue x 200p (2), £1157, £1107 (Non FA) J C Loveridge, 190p, 189p, £1573, £1470 High Chimney Farms, 185p, £1125 A J Thompson & Sons; Blonde x 190p, £1109 (Non FA) M O`Neill Smith; Angus x 185p, £1172 J Berryman, 176p, £1229 A J Thompson & Sons; Sussex 183p, 180p, £1232, £1230 High Chimney Farms; Simmental x 181p, £1543 (Non FA) G Bates, 179p, £1205 High Chimney Farms, 178p, £1358 M J Ashworth; Hereford x 169p, £1238 A J Thompson & Sons.
More culls from the dairy this week and some very good heavyweight fleshed cows to go with the working types from the parlour. All grades a very strong trade reflecting both the tightness of supply and the strength of demand for the processing beef. Best types up over 170p and £1500 head whilst the plain and strong steakers 130-160p. Very little below 120p.
Holstein Friesian 178p, 175p, 173p, 169p, 168p (2), £1536, £1500, £1474, £1406, £1365, £1354 Appleton Farms; 167p (2), £1215, £1207 Huddlestone Farmers; Jerseys 128p, £873 M S Clifford-Baynes.
Stock Bulls (3) Stronger demand for some better fleshed bulls.  Limousin 156p, £1617; Charolais 140p, £1409; Hereford 138p, £1011.
Overage (12) Mostly Sussex OTM heifers which sold very well indeed, generally 230-250p. Sussex OTM heifers 250p, £1460; 249p, £1690; 240p, £1497; 236p, £1331; Angus OTM steer 243p, £1673.

Beef Cows – 55 Sold – Top 237, Average 169.7
Dairy Cows –32 Sold – Top 178, Average 144.4

Store Cattle – 116 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook-O’Connell 07712 246474

Another terrific trade for a decent entry of stores in this early stage of the season. Buyers out in force and the mixture of strong cattle and hard coated types are exactly what the trade is looking for. Certainly, signs in a change in the weather would not go amiss but there is no doubt in anyone`s mind that stock is short and going to remain so for some years to come.
Top call to a grand pen of Angus x steers from R & H Vincent at £1475.

Principal Prices include: 

Continental

17-19mths British Blue x Friesian steers – £1170 – M A & F W Owen
16-18mths British Blue x Friesian heifers – £1140 – M A & F W Owen
24mths British Blue x Friesian steer – £1140 – D Ward
24mths British Blue x Friesian heifers – £1065 – D Ward
22mths British Blue x Friesian heifers – £1100 – N A Vincent
22-27mths British Blue x Friesian steers – £1220/£1070 – P & G & J Carden
20-27mths British Blue x Friesian heifers – £1295/£935 – P & G & J Carden
27-30mths Limousin cross steers – £1170 – Gillshaw Farms 

Native Breeds

11-12mths Angus cross steers – £1000 – A & S Woodford & Sons
12mths Angus cross heifers – £850 – A & S Woodford & Sons
11mths Sussex steer – £800 – High Chimney Farms
9mths Hereford cross steers – £740 – High Chimney Farms
23mths Angus x Friesian steers -£960 – D Manser & Son
28mths Angus x Friesian heifers – £960 – D Manser & Son
16-24mths Angus x Friesian steers – £1280/£1080 – M A & F W Owen
16-24mths Angus x Friesian heifers – £1140 – M A & F W Owen
24mths Hereford cross steer – £1360 – J S & M I Tilley
20mths Angus cross heifers – £1070 – J S & M I Tilley
21-23mths Sussex heifers – £880 – Mrs G Henty
21-24mths Angus cross steers – £1475/£1250 – R & H Vincent

Store & Finished Pigs – 73 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished (52) A better selection of pigs today with handy weights and specs helping to drive a stronger trade. Trade for the commercial types 130 – 160p dependent on shape and quality. Porkers topped at 162p (£127.98) or £131.86 (152p). Cutters topped at 160p or £145.33 from P & R Marshall whilst Bacon pigs topped at 170p or £175.47 from the same home. A handful of heavies forward with Mrs D Cox selling coloured pigs to 90p or £108.
Cull (8) A handful of culls forward with a pen of lighter sows from C B Hope topping trade at 68p. Most sows selling in the 50 – 60p mark with 1 single boar making 20p.
Stores (15) A pen of Berkshire Boar weaners from E Matebalavu this week sold for £30. 

.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 – 27th February 2024

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

For our Auction Calendar and Catalogues click here