Weekly Sales News – 14th December 2021

Top price per kilo – 325p – Mrs D Ashlee: Top price per head – £141 – A Town

Report on trade: Another good sized entry of lambs this week but some resistance now starting to show towards the sharp increase in the trade in the last couple of weeks, with wholesalers suggesting that the demand has slackened off in the run up to Christmas. Despite this, the trade is still at a fantastic level for the time of year with lambs selling in excess of 300p per kg and an overall average of over £118 all included. The number of finished lambs is still below what we expect to see on the market nationally, for the time of year, which is helping prices to stay at the record levels we are currently seeing.

Some super runs of heavy lambs this week with runs from W & P New T/A Moorhouse Farm, Mrs J Walker and Wey Street Farm who all sold lambs over £130, and A Town topped the charts at £141. On the more continental, export end of the marketplace, top spot was taken by the Ashlee family with a superb pen of 38 kg Beltex cross lambs which sold for 325p.

We will be holding a “normal” Tuesday market next week, 21^st December, and we will be holding a sheep only market on Tuesday 28^th of December. We would appreciate if you could let us know of any large entries of sheep for these days so we can keep our buyers informed.

Auctioneer: James Cook O’Connell

Top price ewe – £182 from N C & C G Hedges: Top price ram – £181 from Kingswood Farmers

Report on trade: Not so many ewes on offer this week however a fantastic trade, once again, throughout. The best fleshed ewes are in strong demand with 3 figures being seen on a number of occasions. We had a big run of ewes from M & R Morton which topped at £121 and another run from M A Piper & Son which topped at £133. Leaner ewes ranging from £60 – £90.

Top prices included

Continentals to £182 from N C & C G Hedges

Suffolk cross to £133 from Kingswood Farmers

Mules to £84 from M Palmer

Romneys to £112 from M & R Morton

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Report on trade: Store lambs now returning to weekly Tuesday sales. Demand remains strong throughout. Stronger lambs to £114.50 from M J Tosdevine and good pens £95 – £105. Longer term lambs £70 – £85.

Report on trade: Reduced numbers but overall a good quality show with steers and heifers averaging 230p and 234.5p respectively. A superb Limousin cross heifer topped the market at £1520 (275p) from S Marsh and another top quality run of Limousin cross from W Alexander (Shoreham) rang the bell grossing in excess of £1500 with steers to £1558 (246p) and heifers £1503 (251p) while other smart handyweights included Limousin cross heifers at £1351 (244p) from D W Ferguson Ltd and £1287 (248p) from G L Boulden & Sons.

This week A J Down’s run of mainly Limousin x Friesians grossed well with the steers £1430 plus and up to £1528 (222p) while the heifers were 220p plus and up to £1376 (228p).

Report on trade: Dramatically lower numbers this week but perhaps no surprise as we move towards Christmas. Processors appear reluctant to carry large stocks in cold stores over the holiday period and appear keener for good New Year supplies.

Trade overall very similar with the feeding cattle finding the best of the trade. Under 72m fleshed cows remain very strong but perhaps the older cows a little less. Some strong well overage assured Friesian steers sold well. Bulls remain in demand particularly if fleshed.

Please let us know of any entries over the Christmas and New Year period – text, phone or email – it is a big help at any time.

Sussex heifer 44m 182p £1098 W Hurley, Cows 169p £1112 W Hurley, 159p £1103 (Non FA) AH Hoad & Son; British Blue x 179p,176p £1053 D G & J W Gore; Angus x 167p,158p, £1082, £1031 (Non FA) P Parkes, 148p £1145 (Non FA) A J Strand & Sons; Simmental x 147p, 141p £1216 C & J Georgetti & Sons, 145p (Non FA) C E Price & Sons; Limousin x 146p £1170 C & J Georgetti & Sons;  Charolais x 136p £1159 (Non FA) A J Strand & Sons.

Holstein Friesian 124p,120p, £1040 Huddlestone Farmers; 122p £960 M A & F W Owen.

Holstein Friesian steers 4-7yo 139p, 134p,130p, 128p £1248, £1198, £1197, £1040 R Scott; Simmental x steer OTM 184p T Avon

Bulls: Angus (Non FA) 113p £1181; Holstein 103p £912; Simmental 86p £829 (Non FA).

Report on trade: Despite the small entry all our regular customers were in attendance. Trade held well at recent levels with the stronger cattle on offer selling in excess of £1000 and younger cattle generally £500 to £800.

A strong Blue cross steer topped the market at £1180 from J Mountfort while other favourable prices included 20mths Angus cross heifers £1140 from P Parkes, Surrey, 18mths Limousin cross heifers £1030 and £1020 from C E Price & Sons and R L Brown, West Sussex and Blue x Friesian steer £1040 from Burnt Oak Farm & Kennels Ltd.

A mixed run of mainly native bred cattle from A R Lavender, Surrey looked well sold on the trade with 20mths Sussex steer £995, 15mths Hereford x Friesian steers £815, 24mths Friesian heifer £810 and 15mths Friesian steers £670.                                        

Report on trade: The pig trade continues in a very difficult vein with well-publicised problems continuing. Farm returns are very low and feed costs continue to rise. Where will the industry go? Lets hope the New Year brings some relief and puts a smile back on the faces of “pig men”.

Trade in the pens for finished pigs saw the best make 50p to 74p per kg grossing to a very disappointing £65 per head. A run of 17 lighter weight Oxford, Sandy and Blacks from Bocketts Farm made 50p to 60p grossing to £55.

The cull trade continues to be very difficult with again only a few offered.

Store pigs saw 2 pens of young saddlebacks make £5 and £9.

Cattle Producers, Please Note

Producers from all counties are reminded that if a beast is at any time in its life identified as an Inconclusive Reactor then they are unable to move it off their holding to any other place other than a place of slaughter, irrespective of any subsequent test that may turn out negative. They are not allowed to come to Ashford Cattle Market for onward movement to slaughter.

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

Wanted – Roll over sheep crate and square hay rack by a North Kent farmer please ring 01622-737055 / 07976 921689.

Hay and Straw register

For a small charge we are quite happy to advertise your hay, straw, and fodder for sale in this register which will now run until early May for further details please ring our auctioneers office on 01233 502222.

For Sale – Conventional baled and 4 string big bales meadow hay on a farm in the Ashford area. Can be delivered. Ring Michael on 07715651766 or 01233 820261

For Sale – large quantities of hay, hayledge and straw in the Ashford area. Ring 07707 879642

For Sale – large quantities of top-notch feed and bedding – Round bale naked hay, Round bale wrapped haylage, Mini Hesston bales naked hay, Half Mini Hesston bales wrapped haylage, Round bale wrapped silage, Round bale naked wheat straw, Round bale naked barley straw, Round bale naked oat straw, Whole Oats in 1 tonne weighed bags, Whole Wheat in crane bags, Logs of all varieties, shapes, sizes and prices.

All from our own Red Tractor certified farms (with full field traceability) and keenly priced ex farm or delivered locally or nationwide. Richard Barnes (Farms) Ltd, Etchingham, TN19 7AZ.

01580 819000, 07768 771933

Southern Rover Club news

The Southern Rover Owners Club (SROC) are a long-established group of local enthusiasts covering Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Essex and are seeking areas of land for the occasional use of Land Rover based competitive motor sport. They are looking for any areas with rough terrain including scrubland, former quarries, and accessible woodland. The ground can include open grassland, hillsides and slopes, rocky terrain, and boggy areas. They normally visit each site once a year and have a scale of fees they pay, depending on the type of event held. References from existing landowners can be provided. All their events are run under permits and insurances issued by Motor Sport UK and are governed by technical regulations compiled by both the MSUK and the Association of Land Rover Clubs.

The format for events is that several short courses will be set out over rough terrain with drivers expected to negotiate each section from start to finish without incurring penalties. There are no time or speed elements involved. Events are similar to Motorcycle trials in nature.

If you are able to offer any suitable land or would like to know more about the club or events, please email Graham Bridgland at competitionsec@sroc.co.uk. More information can be seen at www.sroc.co.uk