Weekly Sales News – 1st March 2022

Top price per kilo –313p – A Denning: Top price per head – £141 – H & J Noakes.

Report on trade: A slightly smaller entry this week but numbers nationally beginning to reduce over the last few days following the easing of the trade. With the smaller numbers on offer, particularly the case with heavier sorts, the trade recovered somewhat with many of these sheep up £10 on the week with some of the best once again over £140 head and these heavies averaging 248p kg. Smaller export grade sheep met a similar trade with these generally 250-300p with the top end over £3 for A Denning’s Beltex at 313p. Trade is currently dictated by numbers on offer nationally, and with a steady flow of sheep over the coming weeks there is no reason why we cannot maintain these price levels.

We did offer a small number of New Season lambs this week with two show- stoppers from Miss K Tucker topping these charts at £141 head or 317p kg.

Vendors Note – All consignments of sheep to Ashford must now be accompanied by a Sheep Entry Form, in addition to the AML1, to ensure we adhere to recent regulation changes. These are available to collect from the sales office, lairage and weighbridge. – Thank you

Auctioneer: James Cook O’Connell

Top price ewe: £227 from K Tucker.                    Overall Average £113.52

Top price ram: £166 from C Moss & Sons         Overall Average £122.93

Report on trade: Good numbers on offer from far and wide with the trade taking yet another rise on the week. Cull ewe prices are at exceptional levels so please take advantage. We had plenty of strong ewes on offer and led by a marvellous entry of 27 Charollais ewes from K Tucker selling to £227 with the whole run averaging over £190. Other high prices on the day, A Denning £153 and £144, R F & E Simmons £150, C Moss £149 and £143, O Sullivan £148, Beslee Farms £148 and £140, J Prior £147, Whiteleaf Farms £140 and £134, J Ford £140 and Langrish Farmers £138 with many others in the 3-figure bracket. Numbers remain short nationally and this, together with the strong demand in the cheaper processing sector, are the factors driving the trade to the levels we are seeing currently.

Top prices included:

Suffolk cross to £149 from C Moss & Sons

Continentals to £227 from K Tucker

Mules to £116 from Beslee Farms

Romneys to £128 from G A & H Vicary

Auctioneers: John Rossiter 07557 392903 and James Cook O`Connell 07712 246474 

Report on trade: Just under 900 stores penned again this week with a similar trade to what we have seen in recent weeks. An overall average of around £90 head and a top price of £111 from J H & A H Godden. There is still good confidence in the store section and with time now moving on into March if you have hoggets that you won’t be able to finish, we recommend selling now to maximise returns.

Report on trade: Another strong trade and on a par with last week’s flyer but with noticeably fewer of the very best on offer. More cattle are wanted to satisfy this solid demand. The top handyweights around 250p notably Limousin cross heifers £1412 (255p) and £1465 (251p) from W Alexander (Shoreham), £1381 (245p) from R F & E A Simmons and Blonde cross steer £1423 (246p) from G L Boulden & Sons. Well fleshed dairy bred stock around 220p with British Blue x Friesian steer £1503 (220p) and £1401 (236p) and Limousin x Friesian £1515 (225p) from A J Down. Cattle with weight grossed well with British Blue cross steers £1631 (237p) and £1656 (228p) from K & P M Sinden & Sons and a Limousin x Friesian steer £1542 (218p) from W S Furnival Ltd.

A good selection of native bred cattle on offer looking very well sold with the best in the 220 to 230p bracket notably Aberdeen Angus cross steer £1590 (233p) from R G Gibson & Son, and Hereford x Friesian steer £1415 (220p) and £1341 (220p) from R C & J L Pickering.  Pure bred Sussex steers £1325 (227p) and £1312 (223p) from Gillshaw Farms Ltd and Aberdeen Angus cross heifer to £1214 (227p) from F Sole & Sons.

Average prices

Steers up to 650kg                              15           190 to 246p          Av 220.60p

Steers over 651+                                   9           213 to 237p          Av 222.50p

Heifers up to 590 kg                          14            208 to 255p          Av 213.10p

Heifers 591kg+                                      3           216 to 230p          Av 234.50p

Report on trade: Disappointing not to have had more culls forward to take advantage of these exceptional rates but perhaps therein lies the reason for these levels!!

The undistinguished entry met another remarkable trade with all grades at an outstanding level of demand.

The few beef meat cows 160-190p and certainly nothing outstanding in the entry. A few feeders but mostly older or plainer types.

British Blue cross 190p, 177p £1218 R M Vant, 162p £1090 (Non-FA) N A Vincent; Limousin cross 180p, 174p £1400 R F & E A Simmons; Aberdeen Angus cross 170p £1288 (Non FA) P Allum; Simmental cross 179p £1187 R C & J L Pickering, 178p £1154 (Non FA) T Watts Farms Ltd; Sussex 169p (2), 164p £1255 Priors Byne Farm, 165p £1059 (Non FA) Netherfield Hill Farm; Beef Shorthorn cross 160p, 150p (Non FA) Shepherds Hill.

A small entry of dairy culls with good heavyweight fleshed cows now generally over 160p! Special mention to an Ayrshire grossing £1420 from J Howie.

British Friesian 166p, 165p £1406, £1332 B J Goodsell & Son, 159p £1111 G D & E E Field; Holstein Friesian 165p £1406 W S Furnival; Ayrshire 160p £1420 J Howie; Brown Swiss 156p £1353 D Murdoch & Sons; Jersey 100p Mrs M S Clifford-Baynes.

No stopping the overage cattle which are really flying. More Wanted.

Sussex cross OTM steer 209p £1409; Angus cross OTM steer 214p £1016; British Friesian OTM Steers to 194p £1442; Holstein OTM steers to 188p £1331; Flekvieh OTM steers to 182p £1261; Ayrshire 4yo+ steer 168p £1162; Holstein heifers to 164p £1280.

Stock bulls wanted. Limousin 113p £1288.

Report on trade: Just a few cattle forward this week but with regular buyers at ringside trade was competitive throughout. The pick of the prices included hard outwintered cattle notably 24 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers to £1250 from D Ward and18 mths Hereford x Friesian steers at £990 from Mrs J Jackman, and 10 mths Sussex cross steers looking well sold at £940 from Miss T Maddocks.

Much better show of cattle next week with 400 stores already entered with several runs of continental cross beef bred yearlings.

Report on trade: A decent sized entry this week with some good calves on offer from a variety of vendors. Black and Whites very much the trade of the day with a flying trade throughout!

Beef calves in general a little easier this week with a top of £360 for a lovely powerful Simmental bull from D Murdoch & Son. Blue bulls topped at £310 for a cracker from P J Forknall, with other Blues to £290 from T Castle & Son and £275 from Hickson Bros. A run of Limousin’s from T Castle & Son topped at £310. Angus and Sussex forward to represent the Native breeds and Angus bulls looked better value today with a top of £285 from A & W J Hitchcock, with the same home also selling further Angus bulls to £275 (x2). J Warnock sold their run of Sussex bulls to a top of £240.

Fewer heifers forward this week with a top of £265 for Blues from T Castle & Son, Limousin’s from the same home to £210. Angus heifers topped at £210 from A & W J Hitchcock with J W Boyd & Sons selling their run of Angus heifers to a top of £190.

Black and whites up another gear again today with a top of £170 from J Warnock & Sons with further highlights of £140 from T Watts Farms Ltd, and young calves to £115 J W Boyd & Sons Ltd. All in Black & Whites returned a very impressive £98.71 today!

Weanlings: – 21 Sold

More than expected today with a top £450 for a lovely pair of Blue heifers from C A Thompson who also sold a trio of Sussex heifers to £430. Strong trade for Black & White Steers and Bulls today with a trio of steers from C A Thompson to £400 and a handy pen of five steers from T Watts Farming Ltd to £205. One single Blue steer from C A Thompson sold for £430 whilst a Beef Shorthorn from R Woods traded at £300.

A reminder that we are able to offer calves from Arla vendors under 56 days old subject to a declaration being signed by the purchaser, any queries on this please do get in touch.

Please note – 33% of our customers receive their prices via e-mail on sale day. If you would like to receive your prices on the day, please give our auctioneers team a call and leave the rest to us.

Romney Sheep Breeders News

The RSBS has an upcoming vacancy for a secretary to manage day to day society matters, oversight of flock book, communications, and liaison with members.
Up to 15 hours duties a month. Commencement January 2022. Rates and full list of duties to be advised upon request.

Vacancy also for a part time Treasurer
The RSBS has an upcoming vacancy for a treasurer to manage day to day society accounts and bookkeeping. Up to 5 hours a month is anticipated. Commencement January 2022. Rates and full list of duties to be advised upon request.

All enquiries for either of these positions should be made to the RSBS Chairman on 07973326160.

Cattle Producers, Please Note – Revised Advice Inconclusive Reactors

All IRs from high risk or edge areas that have had a negative (clear) result on retesting remain restricted on their holding for the rest of their life and can only move direct to slaughter or an approved finishing unit (AFU).

In a low-risk area if there has been a TB breakdown (i.e., with reactors) then again, any IRs that subsequently have a negative test are still only allowed to go direct to slaughter or an AFU, however if only IRs are identified in a low-risk area herd test then no movement restrictions are placed on those animals if they subsequently retest negative (clear).

Should any low-risk area producer have any doubts, about the position please do not hesitate to contact Peter Kingwill.

Cattle Passports

We remind producers that on no occasion should the details on a cattle passport be changed other than by returning it to BCMS.

If details are incorrect return and advise BCMS, or advice the auctioneers on market day without writing on the passport.

Hay and Straw register

For a small charge we are quite happy to advertise your hay, straw, and fodder for sale in this register which will now run until early May for further details please ring our auctioneers office on 01233 502222.

For Sale – Freshly dug fodder beet available in large quantities in the Ashford area. Can be delivered. Ring 07764 273798

For Sale – 3,000 conventional wheat straw bales from the Ashford area. 07876273254

For Sale – Conventional baled and 4 string big bales meadow hay on a farm in the Ashford area. Can be delivered. Ring Michael on 07715651766 or 01233 820261

For Sale – large quantities of hay, haylage and straw in the Ashford area. Ring 07707 879642

For Sale – large quantities of top-notch feed and bedding – Round bale naked hay, Round bale wrapped haylage, Mini Hesston bales naked hay, Round bale wrapped silage, Round bale naked wheat straw, Round bale naked barley straw, Round bale naked oat straw, Whole Wheat and barley in crane bags, Logs of all varieties, shapes, sizes and prices.

All from our own Red Tractor certified farms (with full field traceability) and keenly priced ex farm or delivered locally or nationwide. Richard Barnes (Farms) Ltd, Etchingham, TN19 7AZ.

01580 819000, 07768 771933

For Sale – 1500 Second quality conventional baled meadow hay, clean and thistle free, £2 per bale, ideal for cattle. Genuine enquiries only please, from a farm around the Tenterden area 07805847071.

For Sale – 200 8’ Meadow hay bales from a Kent farm. Ring 07787 150165

For Sale – 900 1^st cut, 4 string, 6-layer wrap haylage from a Kent farm. Ring 07787 150165

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

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

Simon Husk (Cattle & sheep) 07885 968077

Mark Cleverdon (Pigs) 07741 845230

Tom Hamplett (Calves, weanlings, breeding cattle & rams) 07966 104532

James Cook O`Connell (Sheep- Ewes and Breeding Sheep) 07712 246474

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

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

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

For Sale – Litter of Border Collie puppies bred from working parents with excellent temperaments – West Kent.  Ring 07961 893682 for details.

AHDB Review

In April 2022, as a levy payer you will be able to have your say on the challenges you want AHDB to focus on and the services they deliver for you in the future. This is your chance to influence how your levy money is spent on the things that matter to you the most.  In order to vote you must first register at www.ahdb.org.uk/shapethefuture before 12 noon on 31^st March 2022. Each business will have one vote for each sector you pay levy to (beef, lamb, cereals & oilseeds, pork, and dairy). You will need to register for each one separately, using the link above.

South East Point to Point Meetings (www.pointingse.com)

The fixture list for the season has been circulated with this report recently. Further copies are available here in the market

Sunday 6^th March – Southdown & Eridge, Godstone, Surrey. RH9 8DB

Sunday 20^th March – Old Surrey, Burstow and West Kent; Penshurst, Kent. TN8 7DD

Saturday 26^th March – Crawley & Horsham, Parnham, Surrey. RH20 2ER

Sunday 10^th April – Old Surrey, Burstow and West Kent; Penshurst, Kent. TN8 7DD

Saturday 16^th April – Ashford Valley Tickham, Charing, Kent. TN27 0JD

Monday 18^th April – Aldington Races, Aldington, Kent. TN25 7EJ

Saturday 23^rd April – Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray; Parham, West Sussex. RH20 2ER

Sunday 1^st May – Mid Surrey Farmers Draghounds, Godstone, Surrey. RH9 8DB

Saturday 14^th May – Peper Harrow, Peper Harrow, Surrey. GU8 6TE