Weekly Sales News – 21st April 2020

Top price per kilo – 240p – R G Gibson & Son; Top price per head – £108 –   S B & A E Martin & R G Gibson & Son

Report on trade: Another decent entry of hoggets forward with 1700 penned and the trade was a touch better than last week with averages up by a penny. Some quality runs on offer with numbers starting to show signs of shortening. The average was 212.4p per kg SQQ but many of the best made from 220p to 240p. Lighter offerings for the export trade were best sold with over 50kg the hardest to sell as all the catering outlets for the big carvery joints etc remain closed. The best quality heavies can still break the 200p barrier but mostly are trading from 180p to 195p. Top spot on the day was taken by R G Gibson & Son at 240p for some smart continental hoggets (45kgs) with the best of the heavies at £105 from Dan Mackelden Ltd and C & J Georgetti & Sons.

The biggest entry of new season lambs we have seen to date and as is often the case, as the numbers rise, the trade begins to take a small drop until the hogget numbers dry up. Top spot was taken by Lucketts Farm at 280p and £98 with Friday Street Farmers and Miss K Tucker showing some super quality lambs both making £109.

It would be greatly appreciated if you could “help us to help you” by arriving earlier to assist with appropriate sorting and penning of sheep. Lairage facilities are available from 2 to 6pm every Monday and we can accept stock from 6am every Tuesday.

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 big entry of ewes this week, most likely as a result in the lift in trade last week, and despite the numbers the prices held relatively firm with the best sheep making over £100 to a top of £107 from S Goodsell and £106 from N A Balcomb & Son. The fasting period of Ramadan is quickly approaching which will have an impact on trade so please let us know of the numbers you wish to send.

Top prices included Suffolk crosses to £106 from C & J Georgetti & Sons, Texels to £106 from N A Balcomb & Son, crossbred to £107 from S Goodsell and Romney to £93 from N A Balcomb & Son.

Report on trade: This was a difficult trade with prices following the national trend. The loss of the higher end catering outlets and more emphasis on the lower priced cuts meat sales are challenging for wholesalers and retailers. Today the best butcher type Limousin cross heifers topped the market notably £1167 (200p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) and £953 (197p) from H J Emery & Son. Heavier sorts made around 180p with Limousin cross steers grossing well at £1259 (182p) again from H J Emery & Son and £1256 (188p) from W Alexander (Shoreham).

A small percentage of native bred cattle were on offer with a run of purebred Sussex selling well seeing heifers up to £1190 (185p) and steers to £1099 (179p) from J G & D G D White and an Aberdeen Angus cross heifer to £1023 (167p) from R Price & Son.

Report on trade: Another lift in the price of cows which only reinforces producers’ condemnation of the ‘big’ meat firms who slashed deadweight prices by 25p per kg just 3 weeks ago purely to accelerate their own profits! Cows are always short at this time of the year and with mince very much the staple for so many families on lockdown it has once again left our industry very divided. Our supply chain is made of many links – all sectors play their part and all must be respected.

A mixture of qualities were on offer this week but plenty of customers and strong competition from start to finish. Beef meat cows made 120p to 135p per kg with some young feeders well in excess of 150p. Fleshed, dry dairy culls were back up over 110p with some heavyweights grossing over £1000. Leaner steaking cows from the dairy sector 80p to 90p with only a few lightest and plainest below 70p. It is time to have a good look through your herds. Hopefully plenty of calves and plenty of milk but ask the question of those not pulling their weight!

Highlights in the beef section included Limousin cross 169p R Coleman & Sons, 158p £906 F W Hare & Sons (Non FA), 128p £1081 P N & C Burden and 127p £835 W Hobbs; British Blue cross 134p A Boyd & Co (Non FA) and 131p £834 Gale Estates; Aberdeen Angus cross 133p £1067 Burden Bros and Simmental cross 124p £909 Llewellyn Farms (Non FA).

From the dairy farms Holstein OTM heifer 129p £1009 M W Goddard and cows 118p £1034 Leggat Farming Ltd, 114p £794 H O Champneys Ltd, 112p 103p £898 £820 W F Farms, 111p £923 M W Goddard, 110p (2) 102p £914 £810 Huddlestone Farmers Ltd and 105p £815 P C Coleman.

A Hereford bull 95p £887.

Report on trade: One of the best shows of quality store cattle at Ashford Market ever with several large runs of smart continental cross beef bred yearlings and 100 12 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers and heifers from Burden Bros. Despite the restrictions the sale was well supported by buyers representing large feeders and trade was brisk throughout with probably some of the best prices of the season.

Large runs of top quality continental cross yearlings from Henden Manor Estate, A J Bray and P N & C Burden sold exceptionally well while a pen of 12-14 mths Limousin cross steers topped at £1080 from H J Emery & Son. Older stronger cattle to finish short term sold in excess of £1100 with a run from J E Berryman topping at £1170 for 26 to 27 mths old Charolais cross steers.

Again the native bred cattle were well received with the highlight being a run of 100 Aberdeen Angus cross yearlings from Burden Bros. The run attracted lots of interest and competitive bidding throughout with the steers topping at £1030 and heifers to £845 while 22 mths Sussex cross steers looked well sold at £1090 from Mrs D Ashbee.

A big thank you to all for your help and support of our livestock auction sales during difficult times. We plan to continue offering sales on a weekly basis – next Tuesday 28^th April will see nearly 400 more store cattle penned and bookings are being taken for 5^th May.

Report on trade: This week we can again report a respectable trade for finished pigs. We offered no cull or store pigs but have got customers asking for stores.

The best finished pigs were again a very fair price selling to 123p per kg for well-bred light pigs from S J M Evans and £116 for heavier pigs from the same home. Other good pigs made 100p to 120p and native breed consignment from Canterbury Oast Trust topped at 95p for Saddlebacks and £83 for heavy Tamworths.

Next pig sales – Tuesdays 5^th and 19^th May at 9am with stores immediately following the finished and cull.

Sale of breeding stock

Current restrictions on the sale of livestock though our auction sales mean breeding stock i.e. cows and calves, in calf cows and heifers, bulls and ewes and lambs cannot be offered.

Our livestock auctioneers and fieldsmen will be maintaining contacts with all our livestock buyers and sellers and farm to farm transactions can be arranged.

We have a growing list of stock for sale from regular vendors including

Young Limousin, Charolais, Simmental, Hereford and Blonde bulls in Sussex, Kent, Essex and Wales; pedigree Sussex cattle from breeders intending to support the Spring show and sale and other stock. See later in this report for listings

Sock lambs – a list of farmers with these for sale is published later in this report. We are not offering them in the Market

Please remember it is essential we have an early indication from all sellers of stock numbers you wish to sell week by week – we phone and send text messages to buyers and agents every Monday evening and an accurate indication of numbers coming forward is essential with many buyers travelling substantial distances to attend.

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

Message from Peter Barker of Barkers Animal Health

Barkers Animal Health retail store here in the market is open for collections on a Tuesday. Please pre order so goods are ready for you – 07880 946983  

Hay, Straw, Fodder and Forage Crop for sale and / wanted

For Sale – Top notch barn stored round and mini-hesston bales 2019 hay. Bulk whole oats in half tonne bags also available. Delivery arranged. East Sussex. 07768 771933.

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

Wanted – enthusiastic smallholder looking for about 20 good sized used corrugated iron roof sheets. Also a small / medium sized wood chipper to hire at a reasonable rate. Text details or ring 07741 845230

Notices – Bill Hyland, Staplecross

Family and friends have asked us to announce that Bill sadly passed away recently. Bill was an extremely popular and very independent character known to many running his own livestock haulage business. Local farmers and many others will miss Bill and the many stories he would tell.

His family promise a celebration of his life as soon as a suitable opportunity arises

Notices – George Janes, Throwley, Faversham

Family and friends have asked us to announce that George passed away recently after a short illness, aged 71 years. George followed his father as a drover and general helper here in the market and particularly enjoyed the vehicle sales. In recent years he and family were great supporters of local RABI fund raising events.

Notices – Edward Hanks, Wainscott, Rochester

Family and friends have asked us to announce that Edward passed away recently. Edward and his family have had a reputation throughout North Kent and far further afield as high quality livestock farmers and breeders. They have also been great market supporters and Edward will be missed here at sales in Ashford as well as by his family and within his own local community.

Sale of breeding stock

Current restrictions on the sale of livestock through our auction sales mean breeding stock i.e. cows and calves, in calf cows and heifers, bulls and ewes and lambs cannot be offered. We are also not offering sock lambs

Farms with sock lambs for sale include

Ashford area – Ben Hope on 07769 636336

Ashford area – Michael Carlton – 07715 651766

Ashford area – Ann Wood – 07930 581237

Rye area – Frank Reeve on 07831 762223

Rochester area – Robert Hanks – 07889 895553

Livestock for sale ex farm

34 well grown Romney ewe tegs – Ashford area

18 well-bred Limousin x Sussex bulling heifers, 12 mths – Ashford area

Up to 300 Mule ewe tegs

3 Pedigree Hereford cows and calves – Lewes area

Ewes and lambs – 50 young Mule ewes with Charollais lambs – Rye area

Limousin, Simmental, Blonde, Hereford and Sussex bulls – on up to 10 farms in the South East

Livestock wanted ex farm

Sussex cows and calves / in calf cows – up to 10 – Rye area farmer

Sussex cows and calves / in calf cows – large numbers – Norfolk Estate

Sussex bulls and strong bulling heifers – 3 local farms

Local Agricultural Show and ploughing match dates and news

Agricultural shows in the region which are now cancelled include Royal Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey County, Kent County and Essex Young Farmers, South of England and Heathfield. Singleton Rare breeds event , Aylsham (Norfolk) and Moreton in Marsh (Gloucestershire) are still planning to run and The Bath and West has been rescheduled for 31^ST July to 2^nd August.

The East Kent Ploughing match has been cancelled for this year.

FCN (the Farm Community Network) have asked us to remind everyone that:-

With the closure of schools across the country in response to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID 19) children are likely to be at home for some time. The Health Safety Executive is reminding those involved in the farming industry to keep children safe during the COVID-19 restrictions. Please remember

• Follow social distancing guidance and wash your hands regularly.

• Most children who are killed or seriously injured in farm incidents are family members. Keep children out of work areas. Make sure play areas are away from the work area and secure.

What you need to know:

1. Children should not be allowed in the farm work place (and for young children they should enjoy outdoor space in a secure fenced area).
2. Any access to the work area by children under 16, for example for education, or knowledge, experience, should be planned and fully supervised by an adult not engaged in any work activity.
3. Children under the age of 13 years are specifically prohibited from driving or riding on any agricultural machine.

There are various very useful documents available online to give you all further guidance