Ashford Market Report – Tuesday 9th August 2022

Sheep Sales Reports

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

New Season Lambs – 1,732 Sold

Top price per kg: 301p – C A Worley Farming Ltd
Top price per head: £140.00 – J Metianu & S Aspital

Another good entry of finished lambs today with just over 1,700 penned. Overall, there was less quality on offer this week by comparison, but averages were on a very similar level. Best finished lambs selling form £120-130 with a top price of £140 for some big Rouge lambs from J Metianu & S Aspital. Smaller export grades were a little easier with the best just around the £3 kg and several form 260-280p kg. Throughout the day the better the finish, the better the trade, with lambs that have been fed on concentrates, securing a good premium.

Top Prices

35kg – £90.00 (257p/kg) – Lovejoy Farms Partnership
36kg – £91.00 (253p/kg) – C B Hope
37kg – £92.50 (250p/kg) – Lovejoy Farms Partnership
38kg – £114.50 (301p/kg) – C A Worley Farming Ltd
39kg – £105.00 (269p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
40kg – £117.00 (293p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
41kg – £114.00 (278p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
42kg – £114.50 (273p/kg) – P N & C Burden
43kg – £116.50 (271p/kg) – Dr S W Winchester
44kg – £120.00 (273p/kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
45kg – £125.00 (278p/kg) – M J Ashworth
46kg – £132.00 (287p/kg) – M J Ashworth
47kg – £130.00 (277p/kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
48kg – £120.00 (250p/kg) – R & S L M Smith
49kg – £130.00 (265p/kg) – H & J Noakes
50kg – £133.50 (267p/kg) – S T Phillips
51kg – £132.00 (259p/kg) – G H Dean & Co
52kg – £132.00 (254p/kg) – J Farrant
53kg – £135.00 (255p/kg) – J Farrant
54kg – £130.00 (241p/kg) – C & J Georgetti & Sons
55kg – £140.00 (255p/kg) – J Metianu & S Aspital

Averages (p/kg)

Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs – 396 – Top 301, Average 251.3
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs – 810 – Top 293, Average 249.1
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs – 496 – Top 287, Average 261.9
Over 52.1 kgs – 30 – Top – 255, Average 251.6

Cull Sheep – 693 Sold

Auctioneer: James Cook O’Connell 07712246474

Ewes: Top £152 – N A Balcomb & Son, Average £93.33
Rams: Top £134 – J Butchers, Average £103.70

A larger show, again, with the ongoing drought forcing numbers forward. A few better fleshed ewes penned, by comparison to last week, but we are still seeing a lot of leaner sorts, as expected. The majority of the best ewes were £110-£140 with the very best to £152 from N A Balcomb & Son for some superb Texel ewes. Medium fleshed sorts still very much wanted and trading between £90-£120, whilst leaner ewes generally £50-£80  with very few being sold under these figures. The best fleshed ewes remain a strong trade with demand for these as strong as ever.

Top prices included:

Texels to £152 – N A Balcomb & Son, Texel cross to £140 – B Foy, Beltex cross to £148 – P Ashlee, Charollais to £148 – J Butcher, Suffolk cross to £145 – G H Dean & Co, Suffolk to £145 – M J Ashworth, Mules to £126 – B Foy, Romneys to £118 – M J Ashworth

 

Cattle Sales Reports

Finished Cattle – 59 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Although not quite at last week’s level this was still a very decent trade with the better fleshed sorts taking the pick of the prices.

A smart Limousin cross heifer took top honours at £1517 (270p) from a run ranging from 240p to 270p from A J Thompson & Sons while a lean, but well-shaped, British Blue cross steer topped this section at £1454 (265p) from R J T Farm Lands.

Other top prices included Limousin cross steers £1569 (262p) and heifer £1384 (250p) from W Alexander (Shoreham), a heavy weight British Blue cross steer £1622 (220p) from Leggat Farming Ltd and a run of Limousin x Friesian steers ranging from 227p to 240p and grossing up to £1577 from A J Down.

Native bred cattle well received with Sussex cross steer £1400 (215p) from E & J H Maylam and heifer £1435 (223p) from K & P M Sinden & Son. A run of purebred Sussex steers well sold, with majority 220p plus and up to 235p and grossing up to £1545, and Longhorn steers finding strong interest to £1228 (216p) both from Earl De La Warr.

Top Steers

R J T Farm Lands – British Blue cross – 265p/kg (£1454)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 262p/kg (£1569)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 249p/kg (£1540)
R J T Farm Lands – British Blue cross – 249p/kg (£1528)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 245p/kg (£1405)

Top Heifers

A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 270p/kg (£1517)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 258p/kg (£1390)
A J Thompson & Sons – Limousin cross – 255p/kg (£1425)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 250p/kg (£1384)
W Alexander (Shoreham) – Limousin cross – 250p/kg (£1319)

Average Prices (p/kg)

Steers up to 650kg – 38 sold – Top 280p – Ave 230p
Steers over 651kg – 4 Sold – Top 236p – Ave 225p
Heifers up to 590kg – 14 Sold – Top 270p – Ave 241p
Heifers over 591kg – 3 Sold – Top 261p – Ave 228p

OTM Cattle and Cull Cows – 65 Sold

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Good numbers again, and another entry of predominately dairy culls as concerns over the weather and winter forage stocks, quite rightly, takes centre stage in producers minds.

Trade is holding up extremely well with the fleshed cows from beef and dairy, and the beef feeders, maintaining recent high levels. Older plain beef cows less money with no grazing available but prices still historically high.

Belgian Blue imported cow 242p, £1534 Price & Shelbourne; British Blue cross 184p (2) £1395, £1248 (Non FA) Brockhill Park; 184p, 167p, £1110, J Berryman; Limousin cross 193p, 177p, 167p, £1463 J Berryman; Sussex 183p, 167p  £1322, £1268 (Non FA) R Horsman; 190p, £1156 Northfields Farm; Aberdeen Angus cross 183p, £1194 (Non FA) B W C Brooks; Hereford cross 179p, £1142 Burden Bros.

Dairy culls with condition were a strong trade at 150-175p, and the half fleshed cows also holding up very well as slaughter numbers, particularly of plain culls, increase as the drought inflicts difficulties on stock and producers. Plain cows generally 100-130p.

Flekvieh 177p, 169p, £1332, £1059 A R J Cyster & Sons; Holstein Friesians 171p, 161p, 160p, 157p, £1324, £1296, £1204, £1166 J Warnock & Sons; 153p, 152p, £1182, £1144 Huddlestone Farmers; British Friesian 160p, £1124 B J Goodsell & Sons.

Overage cattle wanted with a smart Limousin cross steer over 3 yrs. 228p, £1467 and a young fed Limousin x Friesian cow OTM , but under 3yo, 227p, £1450

Bulls wanted and a good trade. Younger Aberdeen Angus cross 173p, £1301; Charolais (Non FA) 146p, £1681; Sussex (Non FA) 139p, £1343; South Devon 136p, £1491.

Older Aberdeen Angus (Non FA) 128p, £1192.

Beef Cows – 17 Sold – Top 242p/kg, Average 166.7p/kg
Dairy Cows – 36 Sold – Top 177p/kg, Average 129.6p/kg

Store Cattle – 11 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Another small seasonal sale with more numbers expected for next week. Demand is very much still there particularly for stronger cattle for immediate feeding and the better-quality youngsters. A nice run of smart cattle 14m from Kent College saw Limousin cross steers to £840, heifers to £710 and £680 for British Blue cross heifer. A small entry of Aberdeen Angus cross bulls from B W C Brooks topped at £735.

 

Store & Finished Pigs – 88 Sold

Auctioneer: Tom Hamplett 07966 104532

Finished Pigs – 32. Better numbers this week with trade a little easier as with other regional centres. Top price, both per kilo and in the lump, for a strong pig from N Dance at 140 p per kg or £179.20. The same vendor sold further heavy pigs to 112p per kg or £123.76. Well fleshed Porkers from T Beesley to 116 p per kg or £100.53.

Cull Pigs – 6. As my predecessor reported a fortnight ago, the cull trade remains ‘sticky’, tops of £63.80 (29 p per kg) from C K Guest or 32 p per kg (£41.60) from Hadlow Hideaways. Boars still hard work topping at 22 p per kg (£21.56) from J Baldock or £45.50 (14ppk) from H W Richards.

Stores & Breeding – 37. A variety of shapes and sizes forward with weaners seeing best demand. Weak shaped forward stores harder to place with buyers reporting tight margins as one of the main driving forces behind this. Stronger stores to £30 from North Kent College with weaners from E Stretton topping at £27.

 

Forthcoming Auctions

Tuesday Livestock – 16th August 2022

Regular Weekly Market with a sale of Store and Breeding Cattle

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