Weekly Sales News – 1st December 2020

Top price per kilo – 268p – P Gorringe: Top price per head – £118 – P Gorringe & D A Thompson

Report on trade: A lot bigger entry this week than we have been seeing and as if we flicked a switch, all of a sudden, we had a top quality entry of sheep with the majority having been fed and therefore well finished.  With the restaurants and caterers slowly re-opening across the country, demand for the better meated and bigger sorts has certainly lifted somewhat with many of these types selling well in excess of £100 to a top price of £118 from P Gorringe with a super pen of Beltex lambs at 268p per kg which was matched by some very heavy Charolais crosses from D A Thompson at the same price per head. Many others from S King, J Walker, A Dunlop and Botley Hill broke the £100 barrier and over all the average was up at 215p.

More fleshed lambs required to satisfy requirements of current buyers. Important to contact us regarding numbers so that we can notify the buyers.

Report on trade: Not quite so many ewes this week but a similar good trade all through with all types in demand once again. Numbers have been a bit tighter recently and the resumption of the hospitality industry will also certainly help.

The best ewes generally made £90 to £100 with grazing sorts up as high as £70 this week, showing confidence in the trade we are yet to see after Christmas.

Report on trade: Another small entry of stores on offer this week and once again as anticipated, trade was flying. Best stores all made over £80 to a top price of £84 from J H & A H Godden and AJ Skinner & Son. Only very long term lambs made below £50.

The scheduled Friday store sale that was due to take place on December 11^th has now been cancelled and the lambs that were entered will be offered for sale on the coming Tuesdays. We expect to see in excess of 1,000 stores next Tuesday, December 8^th.

Report on trade: This week saw a similar entry comprising a good percentage of smart continental crosses and a strong trade on a par with recent weeks. A top quality British Blue cross steer topped the market at £1282 (252p per kg) from Ms K Husk while other best cattle sold readily in excess of 225p. A run of continental crosses from W Alexander (Shoreham) grossed £1200 plus with steers to £1342 (232p) and heifers to £1297 (243p). Limousin cross steers made £1386 (226p) and £1296 (226p) from L Smith and similar quality Limousin cross steers from W S Furnival (Brookland) around 225p and grossed to £1290 plus and up to £1436. Lighter weight cattle made to £1144 (234p) for Limousin cross heifers from D W Ferguson Ltd and continental x Friesian steers made around 200p and up to £1277 (210p) from A J Down.

There was also a strong trade for lighter leaner sorts in need of further finish with a run of Limousin crosses attracting 230p plus and up to £1187 (238p) from R J Husk

More cattle wanted over the next few weeks to satisfy strong Christmas demand.

Please contact us with potential entries.

Report on trade: This week saw reasonable numbers again forward to meet a good attendance of buyers in competitive mood. We saw the first few signs of more interest in the fleshed cows as we enter December and processors look to secure supplies of processing beef for the new year market.

It is still the feeding cows that lead the trade with buyers recognising that there will be tightening supplies in coming months. Best shaped keeping types easily made 150p per kg to 180p with plenty of empty regular beef culls 110p to 130p. Nothing smart amongst the meat cows but assured types made 110p to 130p whilst non-assured meat cows some 10p behind.

Beef tops included Limousin cross 178p 160p £941 G J Reynolds; British Blue 174p £1093 (Non FA) Ms K Husk; Flekvieh 163p £837 E P Knight; Lincoln Red 147p (2) £894 £872 A W Vincent; Charolais 144p 139p £1051 £1030 J Boomaars and 124p £979 R V A Stannard; Stabiliser cross 142p G J Reynolds; British Blue cross 137p G J Reynolds; Simmental cross 124p (Non FA) N A Vincent and 122p 118p £753 J Hooker & Son; Aberdeen Angus 122p £929 R J & C M Greengrow; South Devon cross 118p £1027 G J Reynolds with Sussex 118p £717 (Non FA) J Paine Farms and 115p £870 H W Richards.

If anything, the better cows from the dairy sector were a little firmer but the plainer cows a little less with clearly a tidying up of the awkward and complicated before Christmas not a bad idea for any dairy farmer! Meat cows made 100p to 110p, lean steakers 80p to 100p with the plain and awkward 60p to 80p.

Holstein Friesian 112p 102p £1029 £978 J Warnock & Son; 109p £938 WF Farms and 104p £854 Goddard & Son. British Friesian 106p £818 E P Knight and Danish Red import 87p.

A good muscled Blonde bull made 113p and £1159.

Report on trade: Although a very mixed entry comprising mainly native bred youngsters there was several keen customers in attendance and a very reasonable trade was achieved throughout. A run of Galloway crosses topped the market with heifers to £880 and steers £800 from J R M Contracting while 8 mths Aberdeen Angus cross youngsters sold well with steers £710 and heifers £605 from Horne & Son. Very few continental crosses were on offer with the pick 9 mths Limousin cross bulls to £835 from F S Husk.

Report on trade: A strong 2013 Charolais bull sold for £960 from Mrs L M Howard. In calf cows topped at £850 for a trio of well fleshed 2011-2013 Limousin and Aberdeen Angus cows from Horne & Son all of which were 6 mths plus in calf. Plainer cows that had seen the bull later than the days leading lights sold to £760 for an Aberdeen Angus from R Woods and British Blue cross cows from Messrs P H Hope changed hands at £650.

Report on trade: The ups and downs of pig marketing continue!! This was a better week generally but the trade for the best was still difficult. Returns were better generally but not back up to what we saw until a month ago now. Culls were not the trade we had 2 weeks ago and stores look reasonably well sold again.

The best finished pigs made up to 108p per kg were 90p to 108p per kg, grossing to £105 for a pen of 105kg from Brooker & Son. 50p to 90p covered the rest of the pigs on offer.

2 Cull sows made to 22p.

2 Pens of stores made to £29 for Pietrain cross weaners from R Vidler.

Next pig sales – 15^th and 29^th December with stores being sold immediately following the finished and cull at 9am.

Martin Crowhurst

As you are probably aware Martin has self-isolated for much of the year and has recently decided to take early retirement.

Martin has been at Hobbs Parker for the last 25 years and been a much valued, loyal and expert member of the livestock team. He has spent much of his time scouting the south east for livestock for the market and used his vast knowledge and experience in advising clients on all aspects of marketing, in particular the lotting and timing of sale, for store stock as well as the selection and grading of stock for the finished market.  A well liked and respected character in the livestock industry, we will miss his expertise and input on the farms, and his valued presence in the market.

I take this opportunity of thanking Martin for his dedication and enthusiasm and for his many years’ service in a successful livestock team at Ashford Market.

On behalf of the directors and staff I would like to wish Martin all the very best and happiness in retirement and look forward to meeting him on the golf course. Here, he informs me, he has been perfecting his elegant swing in recent months!!

All the very best Elwyn

Please note if you don’t 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

Hobbs Parker calendars for 2021

We would advise that because of uncertainties over arrangements for auctions for the coming year, because of the continuing Covid pandemic, the Hobbs Parker calendar has not been published.

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 TB! Holdings.

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The December 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 Winter 2020 is included with this month’s publication and again are available here in the market.

Online Hobbs Parker Auctioneers Tool sale

An online only sale of professional power tools and equipment will be held on Wednesday 9th December with bidding starting at 12:00 noon. Go to our website or ring John Rossiter 07557 392903 for more details

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

Wanted – up to 50 both spring and autumn calving beef suckler cows for a Kent grazing farm. Details of availability to Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

Wanted – a pedigree Red Aberdeen Angus bull to run with Sussex cows on a Kent farm. Details of availability to Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

Wanted – J Warnock and Sons have a full-time position for a general agricultural worker, duties to include, milking, yard work, tractor driving, basic animal husbandry, and farm and machinery maintenance. Driving license essential

For more information please contact Robert Warnock at r.warnock@hotmail.co.uk

Wanted – a farmworker on a local beef, sheep and arable farm. Ring 07774408059 for details

Wanted – Experienced stock person required. Supervising & training residents at HMP East Sutton Park. Full Job specification and application on Ministry of Justice jobs website.

Call Chris for more info 07968908641

For Sale – 9 Holstein x Friesian heifers, 24mths and in calf to an Aberdeen Angus bull – East Kent. Ring Peter Kingwill on 07795 200357

For Sale – ready for work Limousin bull. East Sussex. Ring Mark Cleverdon for details 07741 845230