Weekly Sales News – 11th December 2018

Top price per head – £111 – E Chantler & Sons; Top price per kilo – 248p – C A Worley Farming Ltd

Report on trade: A very small seasonal entry of sheep were on offer today and we saw a greatly improved trade from start to finish with nowhere near enough lambs on offer to satisfy the buyer demand. Strong export demand was seen for the very best continental lambs and this has certainly been pushed upward by the falling pound value.

The very best on offer today were once again shown by the “queen of shape”, C A Worley Farming Ltd with lambs selling to 248p per kg (40kgs at £99). Several pens of lambs were sold in excess of 200p from The High Weald Academy, C R Ridley, G P King, L Stevens & Sons and E Chantler & Sons. Heavier offerings were also an improved trade with the best exceeding £90 to a top price of £111 from E Chantler & Sons.

Please could all vendors let us know what sheep you wish to sell in the coming weeks, We will be holding a normal market on Tuesday 18th December and a sheep only sale on Friday 28th but it is vital that we have an accurate idea of numbers for both sales to communicate with buyers.

Producers please note – For top results please present well fleshed lambs which are preferably dry and clean. Lairage facilities are available every Monday evening.

Sheep 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: This was a similar trade today with as per usual a large percentage of lean sorts on offer. Still some fresh faces appearing every week to buy these leaner sorts with good grazing ewes selling from £40 to £55. Best meated offerings were from C A Worley Farming Ltd sold to a top price of £80 with second place taken by the same vendor at £70.

Top Prices included continental ewes to £80 from C A Worley Farming Ltd, Suffolk crosses to £65 from H & J Noakes and Romneys to £62 from the same vendor.

Report on trade: There is plenty of demand for store lambs to graze and feed and numbers on offer will increase every Tuesday now that our Friday fixtures have finished.

A pen of Charollais crosses topped todays prices at £68 from Mrs T Higgins.

Report on trade: Today saw the best handy weights making 210p plus and topping at £1120 (218p) for a Blonde cross heifer from W Alexander (Shoreham) with a Limousin cross steer to £1222 (215p) from F S Husk and a run of continental cross heifers selling up to £1147 (208p) from D W Ferguson Ltd. A heavyweight Limousin cross heifer grossed well up to £1380 (205p) from W S Furnival Ltd.

Dairy bred cattle mainly made in the 170p to 185p bracket notably a British Blue x Friesian steer £1151 ( 179p) from A J Down, a British Blue x Friesian steer £1143 (185p) and a British Blue x Friesian heifer to £1028 (173p) from a run consigned by K E Budd.

Report on trade: This is still far from exciting with many lean cows finding their way nationally into the slaughter system and slowing the trade and processing plants down. Pre and immediately post Christmas trade looks like being little different.

We can report a little more interest in the younger feeding cows this week with many making 75p to100p per kg but slaughter rates capped at around 115p for the heavy beef cows and 100p for the decent dairy culls, farm assured of course!

Little flesh on offer this week with a surprising number of rare breeds many with horns in the entry.

Highlights included Simmental crosses to 115p and grossing  £926 from C & J Georgetti & Sons and 105p Betchworth Estate; Limousin cross 115p £847 C & J Georgetti & Son; Aberdeen Angus cross 108p £841 C & J Georgetti & Sons and 101p Betchworth Estate; Sussex 106p £775 W Hurley, 101p 96p(2) (Non FA) A H Hoad & Son, 100p (Non FA) D & J Murray and  99p Castle Goring Farms with British Whites 89p (Non FA) C T & P M Mannering.

In the dairy lines Holstein Friesian 97p £791 W S Furnival Ltd.

Bulls still difficult but a very smart continental cross youngster made 154p and £1190.

Next weeks prospects look similar – please ring to advise of any entries – it always helps with all stock. Please do not hesitate to at anytime for marketing advice.

Report on trade: This was a very small entry but we expect around fifty head next week, the 18^th December. See details at the front of this report.

Hobbs Parker Car Auctions run over 120 auction sales every year ….

Special post Christmas auction on Thursday 27^th December at 4pm

Livestock market days over the Christmas and New Year period

We confirm there will no market in Ashford on Tuesdays 25^th December and 1^st January.

A market for finished and cull sheep will be offered on Friday 28^th December with the sale starting at 10.00am. Please keep in touch with John Rossiter 07557 392903 if you are considering selling on this day

Fodder Crop for sale and / wanted

For Sale – 600 conventional bales of 2018 season gathered wheat straw in mid Kent. Ring 07768 726286

For Sale – 50 2018 and 40 2017 season wrapped 4’ round bales of hayledge in West Sussex. Ring 07718 532971

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The December editions of these popular regional farming magazines are now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker are regular contributors to the editorial content.

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

Kent Young Farmers Clubs News

President Claire Eckley reports on the forthcoming Winter Competitions Day kindly supported by Burden Bros Group

Five clubs being Cobtree, Homewood, Mount Lodge, Weald of Kent and Westlands have entered individuals and teams for this event to be held at Sutton Valance Village Hall on Saturday 12^th January starting at 1pm. Competitions to be judged will include Disco Dancing, Junior Member of the Year, Situations Vacant, Junior Reading, Junior Public Speaking, Junior Forum, Ballroom Dancing, Auctioneering and craft classes.

For all further details contact Claire by email eckleyfarms@waitrose.com

Kent Herdsmans Club

For all details on Herdsman’s Club events contact Chairman Alan Jull 07708283220 or Jo Masters 01580 240568.

FCN

The Farming Community Network (FCN) is a voluntary organisation and charity that supports farmers and their families through difficult times. FCN have helped many thousands of farming people deal with issues such as financial difficulties, animal disease, poor mental health, relationship breakdown and isolation. FCN’s volunteers ‘walk with’ those who need support and help them find a possible way through their problems – for as long as it takes.

Would you consider volunteering for FCN? Kent FCN would welcome anyone passionate about helping the farming community to become an FCN volunteer. There are a variety of volunteering opportunities including, Caseworker, Helpline Volunteer or Fundraising Volunteer. The Kent branch of FCN is particularly interested in hearing from individuals who have a good working knowledge of direct payments, grants and subsidies, but of course are keen to hear from anyone who cares about supporting the farming community.

More information is available at fcn.org.uk/volunteering where you can also download a volunteer application form or alternatively for an informal chat speak to any FCN representative in the market on a Tuesday. FCN Helpline 03000 111 999. 7am – 11pm every day.

Kent Farmers Ball and Farming Awards 2018

This event, promoted by Pitchfork events and RAMSAK, was held at The High Rocks, Tunbridge Wells on Saturday 1^st December with nearly 300 people sitting down to dinner and dancing the rest of the night away. Well done to the team at RAMSAK, led by Hugh Goldsworthy (chairman) and Karen Wheeler (manager).

During the evening the Farming awards were presented to Burden Bros, Sheppey as Beef farmers of the year; William, Caroline and Joshua Westacott, Sevenoaks as best Dairy farmers; Stephen, Joanna, Trevor and Joshua Jones (A B Jones and Ptnrs), Harval as best Family farming business; Simon Phillips and family, Dover as Sheep farmers of the year and the Edmed family, Horsmonden were best Fruit farmers.

The event was also a fundraiser to support The Kent & Sussex Air Ambulance Trust and through generous donations of lots and substantial bids the charity auction raised a large figure for this most important cause.

Tickets are already on sale for next years event and for more information on please contact the AGRENA (Ramsak) team on 01622 815356

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

Wanted – a reliable young man in the Maidstone area is looking for part or full time agricultural employment. He can be recommended for both livestock and tractor work.  Please ring 07787 566080

For Sale – 2 sheepdogs on a North Kent farm – a 6mth Collie bitch and 12 mth Kelpie dog. Ring 07850 224330

For Sale – 2 Brown Merles and 1 tricolour collie puppies on a mid Kent farm. Ring 07941 730588

Hobbs Parker Car Auctions run over 120 auction sales every year ….

Special post Christmas auction on Thursday 27^th  December at 4pm

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers – the team and their responsibilities.

For all office enquiries on livestock and auction sales please ring 01233 502222.

Elwyn Davies (07710 803901) – Managing director, cattle & sheep auctioneer and machinery sales.

Peter Kingwill (07795 200357) – Director, cattle auctioneer and machinery sales.

Lynsey Kendall – Director and accounts.

Mark Cleverdon (07741 845230) – Calf, pig, ram and breeding cattle auctioneer and auction sales entries and administration.

John Rossiter (07557 392903) – Sheep, machinery and commercial vehicle auctioneer

Simon Husk (07885 968077) – Livestock marketing and field services

Martin Crowhurst (07710 803903) – Livestock marketing and field services

Thomas Hamplett – Trainee Auctioneer

Hayley Andrews and Sue Marshall – Auction sales administration