Weekly Sales News – 15th November 2016

Top price per kilo – 189p – A C Hulme & Sons:  Top price per head – £85 – J Metianu & S Aspital

Report on trade: A mixed entry of sheep were penned this week selling on a slightly sticky trade in comparison to what we have seen in recent weeks but it must be said that we are still 12p per kg ahead of last years figure for the week and the best meated sheep are still looking well sold in excess of 180p. There has been a slight change in the trade with the handy weighted lambs moving more in line with the heavy weight sorts in terms of pence per kilo. Best handy weights sold to 185p form J A & P M Playfoot & Sons (39kgs @ £72) and heavy sorts sold up to £85 from A C Hulme & Sons (45kgs @ 189p).

Report on trade: A larger entry was penned this week with once again a lot of lean sheep on offer for the grazing men. Grazing sorts were traded between £35 and £50 with the best meated sorts selling in excess of £70 up to £75 from Lodgelands Farm and £73.50 form A C Hulme & Sons. Once again it is reported that there is a lack of retail demand in this sector due to the relatively large numbers of sheep we have seen sold in the last month

Top prices were included crossbreds to £75 from Lodgelands Farm, Suffolk crosses to £73.50 from A C Hulme & Sons, Romneys to £65d from A R Dunlop and Mules to £62 from Michael Keeley Agri Services.

Report on trade: About 300 stores in the pens for the first time this season but mostly longer terms sorts on offer selling between £42 and £50 and to a top price of £58 from J A Friend.

Store and breeding sheep will be offered in a separate section on a Tuesday for the rest of the season in addition to our 2 remaining catalogued sales on Fridays 25^th November and 16^th December.

Report on trade: This trade was did not have quite the spark of recent weeks although a quality British Blue cross heifer sold well at £1250 (232p) from M B Farms while other top prices included Limousin cross steers at £1202 (206p) from W S Furnival (Brookland) and £1251 (204p) from W Alexander (Shoreham). Heavy weight commercial cattle made up to £1252 (182p) for a Charolais cross steer from Gillshaw Farms Ltd.

The several native bred cattle on offer attracted the attention of local butchers and included Sussex steers at £1075 (186p) from Gillshaw Farms Ltd and  £1066 (184p) from L Stevens & Sons.

A heavy weight Aberdeen Angus cross steer topped the OTM section at £1113 (152p) from M J Osenton while leaner cattle to feed sold well with a Limousin Cross heifer topping at £903 (209p) from A J Husk.

Report on trade: There was a much more positive cow trade with another customer adding to demand, particularly for the fleshed non assured cows. Feeders, with shape and age on their side, remain a strong trade but the older, plain types attracted less interest. Farm Assurance continues to make a big difference. A few more dairy culls came forward with a little more flesh.

A few nice younger beef cows made 115-135p per kg and plenty more either side of 100p and plain cows 60-80p. British Blue x Friesian (Non FA) made 135p and 124p (£820) from  P Piper; Simmentals 118p and £764 G J Duncanson Ltd, 116p (Non FA) R K Scott; Sussex 112p High Chimneys Farm and 110p (2) P Ashlee (Non FA); Aberdeen Angus 111p (Non FA) and £917 M J Osenton; White Park 107p £682 (Non FA) Hatfield Park Estate and Hereford 104p (Non FA) HSG Farms.

Dairy culls were a little brighter with plenty of weight on offer as full rations take hold. Holsteins to 109p and £971 from J Leggat & Son; 105p (2) and £809 Smith Farms and British Friesian (Non FA) 106p V & C Smith.

A run of aged, but assured, Holstein steers of 3 to 5yrs looked well sold at 117p, 114p, 113p, 112p, 110p(2) and grossing to £991, £946, etc from R W Jones & Son.

Report on trade: A good entry of single suckled 9-12 mth continental cross weaned calves attracted lots if interest and sold competitively throughout with the best making £800 plus. Smart Limousin Cross steers topped at £900 from S J M Evans and Limousin Cross heifers made up to £840 from E Chantler & Son.

The trade for the stronger cattle on offer eased slightly on recent weeks with majority £850 plus and up to £1020 from a run of 56 Continental Cross steers from E W & R E Hanks.

For the last two Tuesdays it has been very pleasing to all the cattle sorted, numbered and penned prior to the start of sales. This is a result of a lot of hard work from producers, hauliers and the team here in the market. Thank you all

Critical to achieving the above is early arrival of cattle, particularly between 8 and 10am, to ensure proper sorting and penning prior to sale. Lairage facilities are available every Monday evening so please help us to help you.

Lairage bookings for Monday and Thursday evenings

Please ring David Martin on 07860 114650 to confirm when you are delivering stock to the market for overnight lairage.

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The November edition of this popular regional farming magazine is now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker are regular contributors to the editorial content.

News from Kent / South East RABI

The South East RABI would like to say “Thank you for supporting the recent harvest supper here in the market. Over 160 people attended and we all had a wonderful meal prepared by the Stock Pot and over £6,000 was raised in aid of R.A.B.I.

Dates for your diary include Tuesday 13^th December at 6pm for 6.30pm – Carols at Christmas will be held again in the Cattle Sales ring here in Ashford Market.

Livestock entry forms, FCI declarations and movement licences

It is essential that these forms are fully completed for every consignment of stock brought to the market. Please help us to provide you with the high level of service you expect from us by getting this right.

It is a legal requirement that entry form and food chain declarations are competed correctly.

We regularly notice that the information is missing from forms. Please can you ensure that all information is completed in future.

It would be very useful to market staff and thereby help with the speed of processing your stock, if a few further simple rules were followed on entry forms particularly for larger entries.

• Steers and heifers are listed separately
• Passports are presented in numerical order
• Breeds are listed separately – for example Aberdeen Angus away from Limousin

General news

Updated 15th November 2016

For Sale – a working pedigree Lincoln Red bull on an East Kent farm

For Sale – well bred pure Limousin bull, 20 mths old by a top Scottish bred sire on a west Kent farm

For Sale – Up to 12 autumn calved pedigree Sussex cows in West Sussex.

Wanted – Up to 15 hardy bred type in calf beef heifers due to calve in spring 2017. East Sussex farm

Wanted – Up to 12 spring calving Sussex cows (not necessarily pedigree).

Kent Herdsmans Club – For all details on Herdsman’s Club events contact Chairman Sandra Brown on 01233 502796 or Jo Masters 01580 240568. Meetings at the Conningbrook Hotel, Ashford.

Monday 10th December at 7.30pm – Christmas dinner and results of the annual photography competition.

News from Kent / South East RABI

The South East RABI would like to say “Thank you for supporting the recent harvest supper here in the market. Over 160 people attended and we all had a wonderful meal prepared by the Stock Pot and over £6,000 was raised in aid of R.A.B.I.

Dates for your diary include Tuesday 13^th December at 6pm for 6.30pm – Carols at Christmas will be held again in the Cattle Sales ring here in Ashford Market.

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales are…….

Rural Property auction

Wednesday 23rd November

Contact James Hickman on 01233 506223 for all details

Special Vehicle auction

Wednesday 30^th November from 6.30pm

This auction of cars will include a special sale of sports and high performance vehicles