Weekly Sales News – 16th October 2018

Top price per head – £89 – S J & J L Vine; Top price per kilo – 189p – D C Foy

Report on trade: Just under 1300 lambs penned this week and trade was slightly harder than last week but the best meated lambs are still selling to a marked premium above and beyond the grass finished types. Nationally the trade is at a low level due to lack of wholesale demand and also the poorer quality of the sheep on offer.

Best continental lambs sold up to 189p from D C Foy showing that export demand is still alive but also the best heavier offerings can still approach £90 with a top price of £89 for some 50kg lambs from S J & J L Vine.

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: With the huge number of breeding ewes on offer in recent weeks, coupled with the lack of confidence from farmer buyers for these breeding types, it has created a flood of ewes onto the slaughter market. This has removed the premium we usually see for the breeding types and in turn has had a knock on effect onto the cull trade. Leaner sorts are finishing homes with grazing purchasers at £35-£50.

Top prices included continental ewes to £80 from Link Bros, Suffolk Mules to £70 from E Morris & Sons, Romneys to £56 from Lovejoy Farms Partnership.

Report on trade: This week saw another strong competitive trade with quality handyweights in particular ringing the bell. Limousin cross heifers grossed to  £1071 (226p per kg) from S Marsh and £1059 (219p) from D W Ferguson Ltd while a well fleshed smart British Blue cross heifer sold exceptionally well at £1358 (222p) from W S Furnival (Brookland).

More commercial sorts made 185p to 195p, notably a run of continental x Friesian to £1135 (198p) for a steer from A J Down and a Limousin cross heifer at £1182 (196p) from  M & C Farms.

Very few native bred cattle were on offer with a rangy Aberdeen Angus steer grossing well at £1301 (174p) from P J Forknall and a handyweight Hereford cross heifer at £997 (200p) from D W Ferguson Ltd.

Report on trade: A quieter week amongst the cows as producers take notice of the fall in prices. Trade is now very much in two parts with a decent enough price for the well fleshed cows and the young good shaped feeders, but a very difficult trade for the plain cows.

Highlights include Simmental crosses 170p per kg, 138p and grossing  £907 M J Ashworth and 134p £961 R Coleman & Sons; Charolais cross 130p R W Jones & Son; Sussex 126p £1084 C E & W E Millson; Sussex cross 122 £863 K & P M Sinden & Sons; Hereford cross 121p R W Jones and black and white steers, 3yrs plus to 115p £802 R W Jones & Son.

In the dairy pens Brown Swiss 123p £956 D Murdoch & Sons; Holstein 114p £953 W S Furnival Ltd; Jersey 78p, 76p, 74p(2) Hickson Bros and foreign black and white cows to £859.

Bulls were a difficult trade with flesh wanted but lean bulls getting lower.

Store Cattle – 513 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Report on trade: This was another satisfactory day with a large entry of cattle comprising runs of quality 12-18 mths continental cross beef bred stores. The entry attracted major buyers from the Midlands and Eastern counties in addition to a keen local interest.

The better quality sorts irrespective of age took the pick of the trade notably 7-8 mths Charolais cross steers at £790 from S W Batch and for the second week runs of 50 plus 16-18 mths Limousin crosses from Burden Bros (Agri) and E W & R E Hanks attracted competitive bidding. The steers sold at £1000 plus and up to £1070 and the heifers £920 and up to £1120 from Burden Bros and the steers £850 to £1030 from E W & R E Hanks.

A run of superb 18 mths Aberdeen Angus crosses took the top prices in the native breed section with steers up to £1215 and heifers to £1155 from Oxenford Farm Ltd and 18 mths Friesian steers sold well up to £680 from P J Forknall.

Second quality and plainer sorts continue to sell at lower levels reflecting the cost of winter feed.

Please enter cattle early for forthcoming sales to ensure proper cataloguing and marketing.

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

Further principal prices include:                                                                                                   

For up to date information on all livestock sales please contact

Elwyn Davies (Cattle & Sheep) 07710 803901 or 01233 861263

Peter Kingwill (Cattle & Sheep) 07795 200357

Martin Crowhurst (Cattle & Sheep) 07710 803903 or 01797 343936

Simon Husk (Cattle & Sheep) 07885 968077 or 01304 842393

Mark Cleverdon (Rams, Breeding Cattle, Pigs & Calves) 07741 845230

John Rossiter (Sheep, Machinery plus commercial vehicles) 07557 392903

Notices – Reg Huntley ex of Kent Wool Growers

The family and friends of Reg have advised that he very sadly passed away a long life extending to over 99 years. He was a born salesman, started selling to farmers in 1947 and worked for many himself and many agricultural supply companies before very late in his career joining Kent Wool Growers. The familiar tap on the farmhouse door from will be fondly remembered by many

A funeral service will be held at Barham Crematorium CT4 6QU on Thursday 25^th October at 2pm.

Hobbs Parker and Ashford Livestock Market

We are the South East’s principal livestock market selling around 250,000 head of cattle, sheep and pigs in 2017.

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.

Romney Sheepbreeders News

The recent edition of the breeders Society newsletter, produced by breed secretary Julie Lukehurst, is available here in the market. For all society information Julie can be contacted on 07538 938425

Annual Dinner – Friday 2^nd November at The George, High Street, Rye at 7pm. Tickets £37 from secretary Julie as above

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

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

Fodder Crop for sale and / wanted

For Sale – 400 round overyeared bales of hay on a south Sussex farm. Ring 07973 418654

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

RABI, Young Farmers Clubs and Kent Herdsmans Club news

Kent Herdsmans Club

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

Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute

Tuesday 11^th December at 6 for 6.30 p.m. In the cattle ring here in Ashford Market

For further information on all RABI events in Kent ring Charles Tassell – 01622 858733, 07973 412179 or email charles@tassell.co.uk

Hobbs Parker Car Auctions Special Vehicle sales

Classic Vehicle Auction

Friday 2^nd November at 12 noon

Please ring James Johnson for all details of this event and to discuss your possible entries

4 x 4, Diesel and MPV Vehicle sale

Wednesday 7^th November at 4pm

This auction of cars will include a special sale of 4 X 4, Diesel and MPV with the normal car auction to follow

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

For Sale – 18 Pedigree Sussex incalf and maiden heifers from a North Kent herd. Contact Mark Cleverdon for details

Wanted – Shepherd with over 30 years experience with 2 good working Collies seeks sheep or beef cattle work. Anything considered.  Tel. 07810203324

For Sale – 6 Black and white Collie pups ready for new homes in the second week in October in East Sussex. Ring 07795 195435

Something different ……

Saturday and Sunday 20^th and 21^st October– Perry Court Farm, Bilting Apple Fayre Full details available from Heidi Fermor on 07831 326850 or visit https://www.perrycourt.farm/apple-fayre