Weekly Sales News – 1st May 2018

Top price per head – £150 – R H Smith; Top price per kilo – 283p – R G Gibson & Son

Report on trade A smaller entry on offer this week with many of our finishing vendors coming to the end of their hoggets for this season. This number drop has been echoed across the country with numbers on offer for Monday down substantially (over 50%) which has been an ongoing trend in the past couple of weeks. This has in turn has caused a lift in the trade once again with prices creeping up towards the record levels we saw 4 weeks ago. This week we returned an overall average of 254p per kg. All the heavy sorts on offer sold in excess of £130 to a top price of £150 from the heavy sheep master, R H Smith with several other pens of sheep from R G Gibson & Sons and M A Piper & Son selling in excess of £140. The best continental export weight lambs were in short supply this week with the best of these selling to 271p from Master Beau Keeley for a pair of smart Beltex hoggets.

A small entry of just a few pens of new season lambs, number greatly back this year due to the horrible conditions many of the early lambs have endured, and the best of these sold to 291p from D J Morphett which was closely followed by J Farrant with some Suffolk cross lambs selling to 281p.

Producers please note – For top results please present well fleshed lambs which are preferably dry and clean. Lairage facilities and dagging 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: A bigger entry of ewes and again a similar trade to recent weeks. Fierce competition from start to finish for all sorts on offer and we returned a super average of £86 with several ewes of many different breeds selling in excess of £100. Numbers are once again short across the country and prices are very good. We would advise on selling any cull ewes that are fleshed and ready to go.

Top prices this week included Charollais ewes to £136 from P Pierson, Texel ewes to £126 from Miss K V Potter, Suffolk crosses to £125 from R L Goodman & Son, Mules to £103 from S J Edmed & Sons and Romneys to `£93 from Fincham Farms.

Report on trade: A reduced entry and a flying trade with the best £85 plus and only small long term sorts below £70. A pen of Romney ewe hoggets topped the market at £100 from E J & A I Fenton while store hoggets topped at £97 for Romney wethers from K Wheeler & Son. Average:- £84.75

Report on trade: Numbers are decreasing and this was a more competitive trade. Some better lambs were offered this week  and all lambs sold between £8 and £26. Average £16.45.

Report on trade: Another good entry met a very competitive trade throughout with 11 individual successful buyers including wholesalers, butchers and specialist finishers. Best handyweight sorts sold in excess of 210p per kg notably a Limousin cross heifer topping at £1039 (217p) from D W Ferguson Ltd, a Blonde cross steer at £1306 (213p) from G L Boulden & Sons, a Limousin cross heifer £1257 (210p) from A J Thompson & Sons and a Limousin cross steer at £1183 (210p) from R F & E A Simmons. Heavier commercial sorts grossed well in excess of £1300 with a British Blue cross steer to £1383 (194p) from K & P M Sinden & Sons and a Limousin cross steer at £1328 (204p) from W Alexander (Shoreham).

The weekly consignment of continental x Friesians from A J Down sold well in the 185p to 193p bracket with a Simmental cross topping at £1149 (189p).

Several native bred cattle were on offer with the best including an Aberdeen Angus cross heifer £1239 (190p) from M A & F W Owen, Sussex steer £985 (190p) from J G & D G D White, a run of Sussex heifers looking well sold around 185p and up to £933 (189p) from A & M Lyon and Friesian steers made to £1132 (160p) from R Price & Son.

Report on trade: Another reasonable seasonal entry met again a sensational trade both for the grazing/feeding types and the fleshed cows which was strengthened by the presence of an additional buyer. Numbers remain tight nationally which is no surprise but weather conditions will do little to assist early grazing cattle.

No top draw beef cows this week but decent fleshed crossbreds made 140-160p per kg both for slaughter and grazing. Best prices included Simmental crosses to 160p and grossing £1099 from W J Hurley and 154p, 153p, 151p, Foyle Farmers; British Blue cross 157p, £1119 Dan Mackelden Ltd; Sussex 148p, 141p Chandler & Dunn; Sussex cross 139p K & P M Sinden & Sons; Blonde cross 138p A J Britton (Non FA) and Aberdeen Angus 140p K Bugden (Non FA).

Quality was variable amongst the dairy culls with some very good fed cows coming through as well as the lean production cows straight from the dairy. All are wanted. Best prices included Holstein Friesians to 138p, 136p, 131p, 129p and 128p £1258 P V Skinner; 136p £1014 W S Furnival Ltd and 135p, 131p, 130p £1177, £1130, £1077 Appleton (Ledger) Farms.

A Limousin stock bull made 128p.

Report on trade: Another big entry comprising a range of ages and a relatively high percentage of native and dairy bred stores were on offer. Trade was still brisk throughout and on a par with recent weeks with a good attendance of buyers around the ring. The pick of the yearling suckler bred continental cross steers topped at £1120 from M J Ashworth Ltd and £1040 from L Smith while the best of the continental x Friesian steers attracted prices around £1000.

Again the native bred cattle were keenly sought after with superb Aberdeen Angus x Charolais steers and heifers selling exceptionally well at £1165 and £920 respectively from Barton & Littlejohns.

Again several keen customers in attendance for heifers suitable for breeding with continental and Aberdeen Angus x Friesian in particular attracting good premiums above store value.

Remember if you have cattle to sell please ring any of our team of auctioneers and fieldsmen for advice and to ensure cataloguing and proper advertising within our sales.

Principal prices include:                                                                                                                  

Report on trade: Spring fever brought plenty of bidders to market today for the entry of breeding cattle. Bulls came first and a 2 yr old Aberdeen Angus from Vexour Pedigree Cattle made £1720.

The varied female entry Foyle Farmers autumn calving cows (back to a Simmental bull) make to £960 and 16 averaging £911, A J Brittons 2005 to 2011 born crossbred cows and Blonde and Aberdeen Angus cross spring born calves made to £1120, an Aberdeen cross 2008 born in calf cow £1010 and pedigree Sussex heifers, bn Jan 2017 £740 from S Hasemore.

** Don’t miss our annual Agricultural Machinery and Equipment sale at Shenley Farm, Headcorn  – Saturday 12^th May – catalogues are available online and printed ** 

** Don’t miss our annual Spring Breeding Sheep sale here in the market – Friday 12^th May – catalogues are available online and printed. 400 Ewes and lambs and 200 ewe tegs **

Farm Assurance

We remind you again that ….

In the last few weeks it has become clear that some producers who in the past had land that was a ‘linked holding’ have not advised their certification body that these holdings – whether rented, grass keep or owned – are listed as an additional unit on their Red Tractor membership.

Unless included traceability checks may question whether the location the animals have moved from to us or during the 60 or 90 day periods, is actually Farm Assured.

If you are unclear from your paperwork at home you should check with either the

Red Tractor Beef and Lamb service on 020 3617 3672

or your certification body:- SAI Global – 01908 249973; NSF – 01993 885610; NIFCC – 028 9263 3017; QWFC – 01970 636688; Acoura – 0131 335 6643

For up to date information on all livestock sales please contact

Elwyn Davies (Sheep) 07710 803901 or 01233 861263

Peter Kingwill (Cattle & Sheep) 07795 200357

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

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

Mark Cleverdon (Rams, Breeding Cattle, Pigs & Calves) 07748 202688

John Rossiter (Cull ewes & store sheep plus commercial vehicles) 07557 392903

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F C N (The Farm Community Network) news

Mental Health Awareness Week – 14^th to 20^th May – To meet the demands of modern farming, staying well mentally is as important as staying well physically.

During, representatives from both the Farming Community Network (FCN) and the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) will be here in the market on Tuesday 15 May, to raise awareness of the importance of positive mental health in farming.

FCN and RABI invite you to come along to meet them at the market, to talk about their work, receive free information about the support available to farming families and hear how agronomy company Agrii is working with FCN over the next five years to promote good mental health in the farming community.

FCN’s National Helpline (03000 111 999) is open every day of the year from 7am – 11pm.