Weekly Sales News – 15th June 2021

New Season Lambs – Top price per head – £152.50 – J Metianu & S Aspital: Top price per kilo – 330p – N C & C Hedges

Report on trade: Another good-sized entry of sheep this week with about 1,800 penned. The trade has taken a slight drop in comparison to recent weeks but with a good number of the sheep on offer selling in excess of 300p per kg there is no need to get down just yet with lambs still between £25 and £35 ahead of the same time last year. The vast majority of lambs are still making over £100.

The overall quality of lambs on offer was not quite so good as last week but the best on offer were still well sold with continental export types to 330p from N C & C Hedges with C A Worley Farming Ltd in second place at 327p. A few less heavy sorts were on offer but these once again sold to over £150 from both J Metianu & S Aspital and G H Dean & Co.

A few hoggets were on offer again selling to exceptionally good prices for the better sorts up to £156 from C & J Georgetti & Sons.

Please keep the lambs coming and contact us with numbers so we can notify the buyers.

Report on trade: This was another exceptional trade with best fleshed crossbred ewes making £125 plus and top Romneys and Mules making in excess of £100. Very few ewes made below £80, and the overall average was £103.

Top prices include Beltex cross £160 from Miss R Thompson, £158 from Mrs R Vant & J Claringbold and £134 from P H Hope with Romneys £123 from Miss R Thompson, £122 from C Ballard, £117 from M J Ashworth and Mule £112 from Freshfield Farm

Heavy rams made to £140 from P Gorringe and £134 from Mrs R Vant & J Claringbold.

Auctioneer: James Cook

Report on trade: A few pens on offer this week with the best being a pen of North Country Mules from Paley Farms which sold to £228 and £79 life.

A bigger entry of ewes with lambs at foot is expected next week – the forthcoming sales listings at the front of this report.

Report on trade: Again, a strong trade, for an increased number of finished cattle, with the best of the handy weight continental crosses making around 230p per kg, best of the heavy weights around 220p and dairy and native bred cattle generally 200p to 215p.

Smart Limousin cross heifers made £1160 (235p) from R F & E A Simmons and £1279 (231p) from G L Boulden & Sons while heavier types grossed well at £1527 (232p) and £1483 (227p) from W S Furnival (Brookland). Other top-heavy weights included a British Blue cross steer £1544 (218p) from K & P M Sinden & Sons and Limousin cross steer £1429 (226p) from F Sole & Sons.

A run of dairy bred cattle from A J Down made from 205p to 215p with Limousin x Friesian steers to £1329 (217p) and £1351 (215p), British Blue cross steer to £1331 (207p) and Hereford x Friesian £1232 (213p).

Native bred cattle continue to sell well with a Stabiliser cross heifer topping in at £1428 (220p) and Aberdeen Angus cross heifer £1337 (217p) from W S Furnival (Brookland), Sussex heifers £1156 (215p) and £1147 (215p) from L Stevens & Sons and Sussex cross heifers £1115 (215p) and £1139 (204p) from E & J H Maylam.

Over thirty month cattle made to £1318 (174p) for Beef Shorthorn cross steer from E T Ledger & Sons Ltd.

Postscript to last week’s report – L Smith sold his Limousin heifers to 238p and £1294 which was omitted from the leading prices table.

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Report on trade: Good trade for small entry topping at £1431 (173p) for a Limousin cross cow from M B Farms. More wanted every week.

Report on trade: Small entry with 12 mths Sussex cross steer selling well and topping at £815 from J D Richmond

Keep the store cattle coming. Strong trade will continue with recent good grass growth boosting demand.

Report on trade: It is good to be able to report a large entry of pigs. With local wholesalers still keen to secure supplies going forward trade continued at recent levels. The cull and store trade also reflect some confidence in the sector going forward with good demand this week.

In the finished pig pens P & R Marshall, P M Langridge, Brooker & Son, P R Lanham and J Sanders all sold pigs at 120 per kg and over. Top gross and per kg went to a pair of heavy gilts from P & R Marshall 130p and £139.

A large entry of cull pigs were penned and the heaviest with the best making to 50p and £123. Boars made to 40p and £100.

Six pens of store pigs were offered and made £38.50 to £41. Good early summer demand.

Bovine TB Test Dates

It is very important that the date (first part of test) is recorded on cattle entry forms for all cattle sold from TB1holdings. Any recent whole herd test dates from TB4 holdings must also be recorded. This information is critical to purchasers who may be required to test animals again and who will wish to avoid the risk of a false positive by testing again within the 60-day period.

Please advise of test dates when making cattle entries for cataloguing from TB1 Holdings.

Please note if you do not 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

The Stockpot Café at Ashford Market

Although some of the Covid restrictions were relaxed from the 17th of May, we have decided to delay the full re-opening of the Stockpot until after the 20^th of July when we hope our full ‘normal’ sit-down service can resume.

This is because the new rules do not allow our style of counter-operation and we do not have the staff and systems in place to run a full service at tables including booking and remote payments amongst other things.

For the time being, we will continue with our takeaway service. We trust you will understand and appreciate your patience.

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The June edition of this popular regional farming magazine is now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker is a regular contributor to the editorial content.

In addition, our Property Consultants Outlook for Summer 2021, is included with this month’s publication and again are available here in the market. Articles from our Property Consultants team and Planning Consultants make interesting reading for all landowners and occupiers

Local Agricultural Show and ploughing match dates and news

The Kent County Summer Fayre – Saturday 10^th and Sunday 11^th July – All show enquiries please ring 01622 630975 or visit www.kcas.org.uk

Saturday 4^th September – Moreton in Marsh Show, Gloucestershire. For all details  go to www.moretonshow.co.uk

Weald of Kent Ploughing Match – Saturday 18^th September at Honey Farm, Munday Bois Road, Pluckley, Ashford, TN27 0SU. Full details available from Secretary Liz Copping 07872 501951or on www.wkpma.co.uk

Online Hobbs Parker Auctioneers Tool sale

An online only sale of 166 lots of professional power tools and equipment will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday 28^th and 29^th June with bidding starting at 12:00 noon on the 29th. Go to our website or ring John Rossiter 07557 392903 for more details.

Ashford Cattle Show news – Summer competitions.

Sheep/flock competition: Chief Steward Trevor Richards 07768726286

Sponsored by Wilkins Kennedy & Hallets

Judge: Brian Dallyn (Devon)

Judging to take place week beginning 14th June. – Entries close Friday 4th June

Class A – Best run of 20 or more Pedigree or purebred ewes with their purebred lambs.

Class B – Best run of 50 or more commercial ewes with their crossbred lambs.

Beef/Herds competition: Chief Steward John Hickman 07711167467

Sponsor Michael Owen (Animalscan)

Judge: Brenda Hide (East Sussex)

Judging to take place 1st & 2nd Week in July.  – Entries close Friday 25th June

Class A – Best run of 10 or more pedigree cows with purebred calves

Class B – Best run of Purebred/crossbred cows with crossbred calves from a herd of 20-50

Class C – Best run of Purebred/crossbred cows with crossbred calves from a herd of 51 or more.

Crops Competition: Chief Steward Tim Porter 07557200611

Sponsored by Agrii

Judges: Alan Clifton Holt (2019 year’s winner) and Nick Peters (Agronomist)

Judging to take place from 21st June. – Entries Close Friday 4th June

This competition is judged on the quality and condition of the crops on a single holding. Judges look for potential yield, uniformity and other things including the general management of the crops. The judges view your best 20% of each crop in your rotation.

Entry forms will be available from the market, Chief Stewards or please email ashfordcattleshow@gmail.com