Weekly Sales News – 10th March 2020

Top price per kilo – 280p – A Neaves; Top price per head – £138 – G Homewood

Report on trade: A big entry again with over 2,700 head of hoggets on offer this week and an improved trade to go with it., This is as dear as we have seen the hoggets this season with all sorts on offer selling to exceptional levels producing an overall average of £105.50 all through the entry, about £22 increase on the corresponding week of 2019. Less continental cross sheep were on offer this week and more native bred sorts but this didn’t appear to have any detrimental effects on the trade.

Top price per head was taken by G Homewood at £138 for some very heavy Romney hoggets with the second pen selling for the same price despite the weight drop. Handy weight hoggets really marched on this week with most over £100 with the exception of the super lights but A Neaves took top spot here with 35kg Beltex crosses at £98 (280p per kg).

It would be greatly appreciated if you could “help us to help you” by arriving earlier to assist with appropriate sorting and penning of sheep. Lairage facilities are available from 2 to 6pm every Monday and we can accept stock from 6am every Tuesday

Sales here in Ashford are supported by buyers representing a large cross section of abattoirs throughout the country. Please ensure your FABBL status is up to date and if you are not FABBL assured seriously consider becoming so – certain buyers are restricted to the purchase of only farm assured stock.

Report on trade: A smaller entry of ewes this week being only half the number we offered last week and trade was on fire once again. A large number of ewes were selling over £100 to a top of £135 from M Furey with second place taken by S T Phillips at £130 for Suffolk crosses. Best ewes were best sold as numbers were short.

Top prices included continental ewes to £135 from M Furey, Suffolk crosses to £130 from S T Phillips, Mules to £118 from Whelan Farms and Romneys to £114 from R P, G J & D R O’Brien

Report on trade: Despite a big percentage of small long term stores trade was brisk throughout with an overall average of £68 and best stores selling readily in excess of £85. Averages 723 sold from £10 to £99, aver £68.15.

If you have stores to sell you would be well advised to take advantage of these strong prices.

Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

Report on trade: Demand still not strong but customers on hand to take reasonable numbers. The best lambs made to £16 (twice) and the main run making £5 to £15 bar a few. Average £7.50

Report on trade: A very similar trade for an increased entry with best handyweights making 200p per kg plus and heavier and dairy bred sorts generally between 170p and 190p.

Regular vendor W Alexander (Shoreham) took the pick of the trade for the meat with smart Limousin cross heifers at £1197 (200p) and £1151 (208p) while other top prices included Limousin cross steers at £1153 (196p) and £1139 (194p) from W F Kirk.

Heavier sorts grossed well notably to £1250 (194p) and £1236 (194p) for Blonde cross steers from G L Boulden & Sons and a British Blue cross steer to £1154 (184p) from K & P M Sinden & Sons. A run of British Blue x Friesians attracted prices around 175p with the steers topping at £1208 (185p) and heifers to £1099 (175p) from K E Budd while native bred Sussex topped at £1038 (178p) for a steer from Gillshaw Farms Ltd and heifers to £905 (178p) from D W Page & Son. Friesian steers made to £1011 (142p) from R Price & Son.

Smaller lighter weights for further fattening attracted lots of interest with a run of Limousin crosses from R J Husk topping at £909 (214p).

OTM cattle made to £1015 (135p) for a Simmental cross heifer from B D Brown.

Report on trade: Another outstanding trade for all cows and overage cattle. Demand for feeding/grazing cows was superb with young hard Sussex cows regularly making 130p to 150p per kg. Quality fed Limousin heavyweights from MB Farms made to 163p twice and grossing close to £1300. Fewer dairy culls forward and they made up to 124p with some good fleshed imported cows up over 100p. Liveweight marketing is your best option by a country mile for all grades with strong competition, particularly for the beef cows, driving prices forward.

Headlines included Limousin 163p (2), 149p, 147p and £1289, £1213, £1154, £1128 from MB Farms; British Blue 151p £1069 (Non FA) O’Neill Smith; Sussex 144p, 138p(3), 136p (2), 128p £761 (Non FA) J Muscat, 142p £862 L Stevens & Sons and 124p, 116p, £1093, £1028 J G & D G White; Blonde cross 128p £893 Farrant Bros and Simmental cross 125p £797 Lawrence & Son.

In the dairy lines Danish Red 124p WF Farms; Swedish Red 118p J Gormley; Holstein Friesian 110p £723 J W Boyd & Sons and Imported Holsteins 102p, 100p £781.

Report on trade: The largest entry of store cattle this year saw several big consignments of quality beef bred sorts from regular vendors. The numbers and quality on offer was an obvious attraction with potential buyers in attendance from the Midlands, Eastern Counties and the North in addition to the keen local interest ensuring competitive prices throughout.

The strong cattle to finish in the short term probably attracted the most attention with specialist feeders keen to replenish yards after several months of high volume sales of finished stock and few opportunities to purchase replacements. A superb 24 mths Limousin cross steer topped the market at £1130 from R & H Vincent while other top quality continental cross yearlings attracted prices in excess of £1000 notably £1120 from R A Wade, £1035 from O’Neil Smith Ltd and £1030 from M J Ashworth.

The native bred cattle sold particularly well with a quality run of Aberdeen Angus cross from Burden Bros taking the pick of the trade with the yearling steers and heifers topping at £1000 and £750 respectively while 12 mths Hereford and Sussex cross steers sold at around £700.

A small entry of Friesian steers saw the best 24 mths old sorts topping at £810 from J E C Farrant.

More cattle entered for forthcoming weeks and we do not expect any shortage no shortage of customers keen to restock empty yards and looking for cattle to graze this summer.

Report on trade: Good numbers of pigs in the pens today and buyers responded well to produce a fair trade through the whole sale. Cull prices in particular remain very firm and the prospects for spring and summer brought out customers for store and breeding stock.

Finished pigs looked better sold than we have seen during the last month with the best 128p per kg (gross £120) for heavy pigs from N Dance and regular vendor S Scott & Son 111p to 124p. 60p to 109p covered the rest bar 2 pigs.

Cull pigs, particularly the heaviest and full of meat models, made to 79p and the rest mainly 65p plus. Boars made 40p to 55p.

In the stores and breeders a sow and team made £160 and feeding pigs £28 and £30.

Next pig sales – Tuesdays 10^th and 24^th March at 9am with stores immediately following the finished and cull.

Please remember it is essential we have an early indication from all sellers of stock numbers you wish to sell week by week – we phone and send text messages to buyers and agents every Monday evening and an accurate indication of numbers coming forward is essential with many buyers travelling substantial distances to attend.

British Wool Board announcement re Wool sheets

Tuesdays 17^th and 24^th March – Wool sheets will be available here in Ashford Market for farmers and smallholders to collect.

Please note if you don’t wash out at Ashford

Drivers of vehicles leaving Ashford empty without cleansing and disinfecting MUST complete a declaration form obtainable from the Market Office.

You must then cleanse and disinfect as soon as possible and within 24 hours, or before using again for livestock.

This is a LEGAL responsibility and are subject to checks by Local Authority Animal Health and Welfare Officers

If you are affected by TB in any way you may wish to note that

Defra have relaunched the TB hub website, Visit the site at https://tbhub.co.uk/ to start exploring and hopefully understand better the efforts being made to deal with this problem.

Hobbs Parker and Ashford Livestock Market

We are the South East’s principle livestock market selling over 255,000 head of cattle, sheep and pigs in 2019.

Weekly sales throughout the year of all classes of stock, principally on Tuesdays, run by a fully professional team of auctioneers and support staff provide an unmatched level of service and commitment to the livestock farmer in the area. Come and see us on market day soon and bring your livestock for us to sell.

Hay, Straw, Fodder and Forage Crop for sale and / wanted

For Sale – Top notch barn stored round and mini-hesston bales 2019 hay. Bulk whole oats in half tonne bags also available. Delivery arranged. East Sussex. 07768 771933.

Miscellaneous livestock and general goods and services for sale and wanted ex farm

For Sale – Border Collie puppies – 4 dogs and 2 bitches – in the Ashford area. Ring Tom on 07707 879642

Local Agricultural Show and ploughing match dates and news

The Kent Ploughing Match Association are holding their ploughing championship on Saturday 14^th March at 9.30 at Hollands Farm, Hawley, Dartford, DA1 1PX

Heathfield Agricultural Show is on Saturday 23^rd May at the Heathfield Showground, TN21 8UE. Livestock schedules available from here in the market.

Heathfield Show Press Release

No 213:  Free trade stand at the Heathfield Show for new businesses

The Heathfield & District Agricultural Show has been a celebration of agriculture and business in our area for many years, the 2020 Show will be the Show’s 73rd anniversary.  The ongoing success of the Show was endorsed in 2019 when the Show was awarded the title of Best Agricultural Event in the South East at The Farmers’ Ball in December.

Once again we are offering new businesses the opportunity to take up a free stall at the Show on Saturday 23^rd May 2020.  As well as having a trade stand on the day giving you a shop window to the thousands of visitors (19,000+ in 2019) who attend, you will also form part of our promotional campaign.

Applicants will need to, amongst other things, have been trading for less than a year on Show day, be within a 25 mile radius of the Showground and complete an online application form.  Visit our web site today for more details.  Applications should be submitted by Friday 20^th March.  www.heathfieldshow.org/new-enterprise-zone/

This is an amazing opportunity for someone just starting out.

Please contact the Show Secretary Secretary@heathfieldshow.org for further information.

South of England Show – Thursday to Saturday 11^th, 12^th and 13^th June – All show enquiries please ring 01444 892700 or visit seas.org.uk – schedules available from here in the market

South East Point to Point Meetings (www.pointingse.com)

Sunday 22^nd March – Old Surrey, Burstow & West Kent, Penshurst – 1.30pm

Saturday 28^th March – Crawley & Horsham, Parham – 1.45pm

Saturday 11^th April – Ashford Valley Tickham, Charing – 2pm

Monday 13^th April – Aldington Races, Aldington – 2pm

Saturday 18^th April – Old Surrey, Burstow & West Kent, Penshurst – 2pm

Saturday 25^th April – Chiddingfold, Leconfield & Cowdray, Parham – 2pm

Sunday 3^rd May – Mid Surrey Farmers Drag, Godstone – 1pm

Saturday 16^th May – Surrey Union, Peper Harrow – 2pm

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions

run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales are ……

Car and Commercial Vehicle sales

Monday 16^th March at 4.00pm

Special sale of vehicles from many of the region’s main dealerships with the normal car auction to follow

Thursday 19^th March at 3.00pm

Commercial vehicle sale to include special sale of leisure vehicles

Friday 27^th March at 12.00

Spring classic car auction

Thursday 2^nd April at 3.00pm

Commercial vehicle sale

Collective Machinery & Equipment sale

Friday 3^rd April at 9.30am.

Lots will include new & nearly new mowers & garden machinery. New tools, farm & agricultural equipment, timber plus large selection of miscellaneous items.

Catalogues will be available about a week before the sale

Pedigree Sussex Spring Show & Sale

Friday 17^th April

This is the Sussex Cattle Societies sale of breeding bulls and females

Sale of Boats and Maritime items at Ramsgate Harbour

Saturday 25^th April

A good large entry of boats and other maritime items

Shenley Farm Machinery sale

Saturday 16^th May at 9.30am

Large entries of tractors, trailers, vehicles, arable equipment, haymaking equipment, tractor attachments & spares, livestock kit, garden machinery, workshop tools and a large and varied selection of rural bygones are expected

RABI, Young Farmers Clubs, 91 Club, Kent Herdsmans Club and FCN news

RABI

Friday 27^th March – Charity Clay Shoot, West Kent Shooting School, TN12 7DG. Arrival time 9.30am to start at 10am, £75 per gun, 70 bird, teams of four, experienced shooters only. Entry includes tea, coffee, and bacon sandwiches on arrival, BBQ lunch with salads, wine, beer or soft drinks

Thursday 23^rd April – 10^th Anniversary dinner to celebrate Great British Beef week (and St Georges day) in the Amos Hall, Ashford Market. Guest speaker Minette Batters, NFU president.

For further information on all RABI events in Kent ring Charles Tassell – 01622 858733, 07973 412179, email charles@tassell.co.uk or contact the regional co-ordinator Sally Field on 07799 798441 or email sally.field@rabi.org.uk

Kent Herdsmans Club.

For all details on Herdsman’s Club events please contact Chairman John Shrubsall, 07768325929or Jo Masters 01580 240568.

Ashford Young Farmers – For all details on Ashford Young Farmers please contact Amy Langdon at amy.langdon1234@hotmail.co.uk.

Tonbridge Young Farmers – Debbie Broad and friends in the area have reopened this club.

For all details of plans for the future please contact the Broads through Debbie’s Facebook page or email tonbridgeyfc19@gmail.com

Ashford Cattle Show News

Congratulations to all trophy winners who attended the presentation evening recently.

Revised date – The AGM will be held on Wednesday 18^th March at 6.30pm here in the Market.

George Horne, show president, was very proud to present 2 cheques on the prize-giving evening to his chosen charities being £2215 to RABI and £2060.70 for Kent M S Therapy.

For up to date information on all livestock sales please contact

Elwyn Davies (Cattle & Sheep) 07710 803901 or 01233 861263

Peter Kingwill (Cattle & Sheep) 07795 200357

Martin Crowhurst (Cattle & Sheep) 07710 803903 or 01797 343936

Simon Husk (Cattle & Sheep) 07885 968077 or 01304 842393

Mark Cleverdon (Rams, Breeding Cattle and Pigs) 07741 845230

John Rossiter (Sheep, Machinery plus commercial vehicles) 07557 392903

Tom Hamplett (Calves, Weanlings & Rams) 07966 104532