Weekly Sales News – 18th June 2019

New seasons lambs: Top price per kilo – 245p – G H Dean & Co: Top price per head – £126 – D J Morphett

Report on trade: A good sized entry of lambs forward this week with over 1,700 penned and once again a slightly improved trade. Best lambs secured the top prices as has become the norm with the export trade showing some real signs of sparkle. Best continental lambs from G H Dean & Co sold to 245p per kg (40kg at £98) and the top spots with the heavier offerings were D J Morphett at £126 for some very heavy Charollais lambs and some bigger runs of sheep from T Masters and C & J Georgetti & Sons topped at £104.50 and £103.50 respectively.

A small entry of end of season hoggets this week again sold up to £90 from C Hepher.

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: A small entry of ewes this week met a slightly improved trade. Quite a lot of good meated sheep this week selling to a top price of £101 from J Warnock & Son for some strong Texel ewes. Suffolk crosses sold to £82 from T Masters. There is still a little more spark in the trade than in recent months.

Top prices include Texels to £101 from R J Warnock & Son, Suffolk crosses to £82 from T Masters and Mules to £69 from R L Goodman & Son.

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Report on trade: One pen of young crossbred tegs with singles made £106

Report on trade: Difficult trading for beef at the moment with processors reportedly still moving stocks held in anticipation of Brexit and slow domestic demand putting pressure on the market. Consequently prices were slightly down on recent weeks with the best cattle on offer selling around 195p per kg and more commercial sorts in the 170p to 185p bracket.

A smart Limousin cross steer topped the market at £1074 (204p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) while other top prices included a Blonde cross heifer at £1010 (197p) from Mrs J Boulden and a run of Limousin cross heifers up to £1034 (198p) from W S Furnival (Brookland).

We had very few native bred cattle on offer with a well fleshed Sussex cross heifer selling relatively well at £1010 (197p) from M A Piper & Son Farms while cattle with weight sold around 180p, notably a Charolais cross steer at £1209 (177p) from A & M Lyon.

OTM cattle made up to £1060 (160p) from E T Ledger & Son Ltd.

Report on trade: A very mixed bag on a quiet day as many livestock producers tidy cut grass before the anticipated thunderstorms and rains! The beef sector, in general, is taking something of a hammering at the moment and the processing sector is no exception. Increased domestic supplies, largely from the dairy sector, are meeting low priced Irish product and the European cow beef market is being supplied by the big Irish processors. Quite how the Irish beef industry is wangling 100 million Euros out of EU coffers and the Dublin piggy bank for ‘Brexit disruption’ without contravening State Aid rules beggars belief!

The better fleshed beef cows made 120-130p per kg, dairy culls at less money with the plain cows value determined by condition and weight with the lightweights penalised more heavily represented the greater costs they carry in processing.

Highlights included British Blue x Friesian 127p, 126p £941, £936 from A E Daw & Sons; Aberdeen Angus cross 123p D J Miles and 118p R Brown & Daughter; Charolais cross 120p £802 R Brown & Daughter; Limousin cross 119p £853 R F & E A Simmons; Simmental 119p £788 Lawrence & Sons and Lincoln Red cross 118p £788 R Brown & Daughter.

In the dairy section Holstein Friesian 118p £874 F W Hamlyn & Son; 113p £737 J W Boyd & Sons Ltd and Ayrshire 100p (Non FA) A N Waters.

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

Report on trade: A very decent trade for a small entry of cattle with 22 mths Simmental cross steers topping at £810 from A G A Homewood and yearling Limousin steers and heifers to £770 and £760 respectively from J & A Lawrence.

We have potential customers keen for store cattle – please contact us, if you have cattle to sell, to advise on suitable dates.

Ashford Cattle Show summer competitions

Plans are well in hand for these now.

Sheep flocks. Competition, sponsored by Wilkins Kennedy (Accountants) and Hallett & Co (Solicitors), has now been judged.

Beef herds. Competition sponsored by Michael Owen (Animalscan) and Nick Bates.  Judging is planned for August.

Please contact Charlie Bull 01797 230503 or 07825 665498 email: bull_herd04@btinternet.com

Crops. Competition sponsored by Agrii (Agronomy services). This competition is now being judged.

Please contact Tim Porter 07557 200611email: tporter_esq@hotmail.com

Remember this years pre Christmas event is on Monday and Tuesday 26^th and 27^th November

Summer events / meetings in the area of interest to farmers

Wednesday 26^th and Thursday 27^th June – Royal Norfolk Show, Norwich. Full details from Holly Whittaker on 01603 748931 or visit www.royalnorfolkshow.co.uk

Kent County Show – Friday to Sunday 5^th to 7^th July – All show enquiries to 01622 633051. Hobbs Parkers are again pleased to be sponsoring cattle and sheep sections

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The June editions of these popular regional farming magazines are now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker is a regular contributor to the editorial content.

In addition our Property Consultants Outlook for Summer 2019 is included with this months publication and again are available hare in the market. Articles from our Property Consultants team and James Hickman’s commentary on the agricultural land market makes interesting reading for all landowners and occupiers.

RABI, Young Farmers Clubs, 91 Club, Kent Herdsmans Club and FCN news

RABI – copies of a summer newsletter are available here in the market.

EORS Field contest farm walk – Thursday 27^th June at Home Farm, Sundridge (with the Westacott family). All details from Beer, Siggs and Griffin (NFU) 01732 496050

Cream Tea and Garden tour – Thursday 8^th August at Hole Park, Rolvenden TN17 4JA at 2.30pm. Tickets £15 from Charles Tassell or Sheila Adams 07783 398439

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

Kent Herdsmans Club

The next meeting will be on Monday 1st July at 7.30pm with a visit to E H Holdstock & Son, Elbridge Farm, Elbridge Hill, Sturdy, Canterbury CT3 4AT.

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

Sussex YFC

A charity clay pigeon and pool shoot on Sunday 23^rd June at Deans Farm, Piddinghoe BN9 9AL from 9am until last shoot 3.30pm by kind permission of Hoddern Estates Shoot, in aid of Sussex Young Farmers. £20 entry per class with trophies for men’s, ladies, junior and YFC classes. For more information call 01273 892101, e-mail sussexyfc@plumpton.ac.uk or find us on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/sussexyfc. Southern Shears UK

Southern Shears UK

Sunday 14th July at Copford Sawmill, Dern Lane, Heathfield, East Sussex. TN21 0PN

Southern Shears UK is a sheep shearing competition set up to achieve the following aims – to promote the skill and craft of sheep shearing and wool handling, to hold an annual competition; to promote and encourage an interest in wool and to encourage co-operation in the local farming community. For all details and entries please contact Mary Masters on 01273 517824

Forthcoming store and breeding sheep sales

Friday 26^th July

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 9^th August

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 23^rd August

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 30^th August

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 6^th September

This sale will include the annual show and sale of crossbred ewe lambs together with South East Texel Groups breeding females and rams plus commercial rams

Friday 13^th September

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 20^th September

This sale will include the annual show and sale of Central Beltex breeding females and rams plus commercial rams

Friday 27^th September

Romney Day sale of ewe lambs, ewe tegs and breeding ewes together with Romney Sheep Breeders Society show and sale of pedigree rams

Friday 4^th October

Store lambs, breeding sheep and catalogued ram sale

Friday 11^th October

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 18^th October

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 1^st November

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 22^nd November

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 13^th December

Store lambs and breeding sheep

All sales commence at 11am with ram sales at 10am