Weekly Sales News – 12th February 2019

Top price per kilo – 212p – P Gorringe: Top price per head – £100 – S King

Report on trade: A bigger entry this week with nearly 3000 finished hoggets penned and towards 5000 sheep in the market altogether. General trade was on a par with recent weeks with attractive premiums available for the better quality available this week. Notable quality runs were penned for S King and P Gorringe who between them have dominated the top price roll of honours. The majority of these better sheep with weight sold between £85 and £100. The handier weights where the trade is strictly determined by the export demand were also well sold with the best quality offerings just above the 200p price barrier.

Dagging service is available on all Monday afternoons, please advise us of the number you wish to send.

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: Just over 600 ewes penned this week with a number of scanned empty sheep on offer. Trade was once again on a similar level to recent weeks with the best sheep on offer selling in excess of £80 to a top price of £86 from P N & C Burden. Grazing ewes sold on a similar trade also with the majority making between £30-£50.

Top prices included Suffolk crosses to £86 from P N & C Burden, Mules to £60 from J Sprigings and Romneys to £60 from A R Dunlop.

Store and Breeding Sheep – 1,209 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07757 392903

Report on trade: Another big entry with trade on a par with last week. Best stores made in excess of £70 and up to £72 for Suffolk crosses and up to £69.50 for Texel crosses. Medium sorts sold readily around £65 and only very small long term sorts below £55. Averages 1,209 sold to £72 and aver’ £58.32.

Report on trade: Another very respectable entry saw the best butcher type cattle making in the 205p per kg to 220p and the majority of commercial sorts 175p to 190p.

Handy weight Limousin cross heifers took the pick of the trade notably £1053 (220p) from Miss H Dent, £1005 (210p) from W S Furnival (Brookland) Ltd, £900 (210p) from S Marsh and £1233 (206p) from G L Boulden & Sons. Limousin cross steers topped at £1298 (205p) from W Alexander (Shoreham).

The best of the commercial cattle included a Limousin x Friesian steer at £1161 (182p) from A J Down, British Blue cross steer £1158 (188p) from K & P M Sinden & Sons and a British Blue cross heifer £1103 (186p) from R Winstone.

A few native bred cattle on offer and top call at £1042 (195p) was an Aberdeen Angus cross steer from W Alexander (Shoreham).

Report on trade: Another very good entry of cows for the time of year and again a high proportion of decent fleshed cows from both beef and dairy herds. Trade continues to firm as numbers nationally tighten quite substantially and this trend, as predicted, is likely to continue following the heavy cull of cows in the autumn. Feeding cows were also dearer with the grazing men liking the look of the forecast and getting ready to turn out the hard coated cows onto drier ground.

Again no best quality purebreds but good fed beef cross cows readily made 120p per kg to 140p and plenty grossing £1000 plus. Farm Assurance is important on the meat cows and does add value. Fewer feeding cows but some tidy yarding types again 120p to 140p whilst some harder outdoor grazing types sold very well at 90p to 110p. Older cows were a little harder by comparison but nothing made under 75p.

Limousin crosses made 138p, 130p, 128p, 126p and grossed £1058, £1028, £1011 from G Bates Ltd and 128p £950 W S Furnival (Brookland) Ltd; Simmental cross 130p, 128p, 127p £1017 W S Furnival (Brookland) Ltd, 128p £968 G Bates Ltd and 120p, 117p, 116p L A Charman & Ptrs; Blonde cross 130p (Non FA) A J Strand & Sons; Aberdeen Angus cross 128p £1020 W S Furnival (Brookland) Ltd; British Blue cross 126p W S Furnival (Brookland) Ltd; Charolais cross 126p (Non FA) A J Strand & Sons and Sussex 123p £802 Passmore Coombes.

The very best of the dairy culls made 120p plus but requiring big carcase weight and full finish to get this price. Don’t be tempted just to fill cows up with morning breakfast/early lunch – it never works!

Montbelliarde 126p £1092 D Murdoch & Sons; Holstein Friesian 123p, 119p (2), 118p £1041, £949 Goddard & Son; 121p A L Betts; 120p W F Farms; 119p and 117p £989 M A & F W Owen and British Friesians 121p, 119p, 117p £1055 PHR Farms.

Good bulls certainly brighter with Limousin 128p £956; Sussex worker 125p £1158 and another 95p £1063.

Please do not hesitate to ring at anytime for marketing advice.          

Report on trade: A bullish trade for a reduced number of cattle with a good attendance of potential buyers for all on offer. A pen of quality 18mths Limousin cross steers topped the market at £1160 from C W Jones and a Limousin cross heifer of a similar age sold well at £930 from K P Lukehurst. The best of the continental cross yearlings topped at £900 for Limousin cross steers from Mrs K Graham.

Two runs of Aberdeen Angus yearlings attracted lots of interest with steers and heifers up to £865 and £805 respectively from A J Thompson & Sons while a run of heifers sold well in the £700 to £770 bracket from Betchworth Estate Farms.

Please contact regarding possible entries over the forthcoming weeks.

On day of sale please ensure cattle arrive at the market early to ensure proper sorting and accurate administration of paperwork.

Events / Meetings in the area of interest to farmers

Farm Expo, organised by the Kent County Agricultural Society, will have its inaugural event in 2019 and will focus on machinery, supplies, and services for the agricultural industry. The event will showcase major national and international providers of farming machinery and services and will host seminars on the industry’s trending topics. With Farm Expo taking place three weeks before the UK leaves the European Union, the key note speaker will be discussing the future of farms, farming and rural enterprises in Britain.

Chairman of the Kent County Agricultural Society, Kevin Attwood, said: ‘as a charity, the Society is committed to education and development in farming and agriculture. Farm Expo is an important event for us to hold in order to best support the local farming community. It will ensure that the latest developments in farming machinery and services, and the industry at large, are available for farmers and agricultural workers.’

Farm Expo offers its visitors the latest farming equipment as well as opportunities to network with others in the industry. The event is free to attend for visitors with free parking.

For further information please contact the Kent County Agricultural Society, Kent Showground, Detling, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3JF 01622 633058 or email becky@kentshowground.co.uk

Looking ahead to the summer show the Kent County Agricultural Society are introducing a new offering for livestock supply and service stands exhibiting at the 2019 Kent County Show. The Show is host to over 200 cattle, sheep, wool and goat competitions and will take place on the 05, 06 & 07 July in 2019. There will be a limited number of 3m x 3m marquee stands available in a prominent location directly opposite the cattle judging rings and cattle marquee. These are available for £215 for the three Show days and will be promoted to all livestock competitors in the lead up to the Show. For further information please contact Rosie in the office on 01622 633051 or email rosie@kentshowground.co.uk

Notices – Brian Bromley, Charing

The family and friends of Brian have advised that he very sadly passed away last weekend. Brian, with his family, had farmed under the trading title of E & M E Brundrett for the majority of his life. He was a well known and prominent member of the wider farming community in the Ashford area as well as an Ashford market supporter.

A memorial service will be held at Charing Church on Wednesday 27^th February at 2.30pm.

Ashford Cattle Show News

The AGM will be held on Wednesday 20^th February at 6pm here in the market.

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

For Sale – 300 Romney mainly 2 lamb ewes which have run with Charollais rams and are due early April on an East Anglian farm. Ring Simon Husk for more information.

For Sale – selection of British Blue and Limousin x British Blue young bulls on a Suffolk farm. Ring mark Cleverdon for more information

For Sale – pedigree Aberdeen Angus bull, 6 yrs old – Ashford area

Wanted – Big bale hay feeder for 8’ x 4’ bales for a North Kent farm. Ring 07976 921689

Wanted – general farm worker for a mixed farm in Sellinge, Ashford – Work will include feeding cattle. Ring 07774 408059 for more information

Wanted – Cattle grazing wanted for 50 store cattle or 30 cows and calves anywhere in Kent. Any grazing considered but marsh grazing preferred. References available and good rates of rent paid. Please contact either Richard 07889882422 or Roger 07933229030.

Wanted – general farm worker for a mixed farm in the Reigate area. Work will include supporting a beef calf rearing unit and accommodation is available. Please ring 07885 649666

Fodder Crop for sale and / wanted

For Sale – 100 4’ round bales of 2018 made hay – stored undercover on a West Kent farm. Ring 01732 750320

For Sale – 25 double wrapped 4’ round bales of 2018 made hayledge on a farm east of Ashford. Ring 07778 057902

For Sale – 100 4’ round bales of pea straw, 100 4’ round wrapped bales of whole crop wheat silage, 100 4ft round bales of winter oat straw on a Romney Marsh. Ring 07976 553752

For Sale – Up to 230 6’ quadrant rye grass bales. Ring 01303 840112

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

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

Hobbs Parker and Ashford Livestock Market

We are the South East’s principal livestock market selling over 250,000 head of cattle, sheep and pigs in 2018.Weekly sales throughout the year of all classes of stock, principally on Tuesdays, run by a fully professional team of auctioneers and support staff, they provide an unmatched level of service and commitment to the livestock farmers in the area. Come and see us on market day soon and bring your livestock for us to sell.

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

Please see website for further details.

Sunday 17^th February – Charing, Kent. TN27 0JS

Sunday 3^rd March – Godstone, Surrey. RH9 8DB

Saturday 16^th March – Parham, Storrington, West Sussex. RH20 2ER

Sunday 24^th March – Penshurst, Kent. TN8 7DD

Sunday 7^th April – Godstone, Surrey. RH9 8DB

Saturday 13^th April – Penshurst, Kent. TN8 7DD

Saturday 20^th April – Charing, Kent. TN27 0JS

Monday 22^nd April – Aldington, Kent. TN25 7EJ

Saturday 27^th April – Parham, Storrington, West Sussex. RH20 2ER

Saturday 11^th May – Peper Harrow, Godalming, Surrey. GU8 6LA

Kent Herdsmans Club

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

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

Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute (RABI)

Farmhouse Breakfast season

Thursday 21^st February. Dog & Duck, Plucks Gutter, Canterbury. CT3 1JB.

Friday 1^st March. Stockpot, Ashford Market, Ashford. TN24 0HB.

For further information or to book your place ring Charles Tassell 07973 412179 or Charles@Tassell.co.uk.

More dates and venues will be confirmed as will further fund raising days and events

2019 Calendars

We still have 2019 Hobbs Parker calendars available for you, your friends or family. If you have not received your copy or would like a calendar please call in or give us a call and we can send one out to you.