Weekly Sales News – 23rd January 2018

Report on trade: A smaller entry this week as has been the case in many centres and the drop in numbers has had a positive effect on the trade. Overall averages all increased on last week but in particular the heavier sheep on offer were greatly improved with many of these sheep selling for £5-10 more than last week to a top price of £99 from P Gorringe. Several other sheep were sold in excess of £90 from N & C Hedges, D J Morphett, J Wickens and A C Hulme & Sons. Handy weight sheep were also sold on an improved trade overall but didn’t take the jump to the same extent that the heavy sheep did. Best continental export grade lambs sold to 206p per kg from P Ashlee for some smart Beltex lambs weighing 39kg.

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 smaller entry of ewes were on offer today but trade was certainly improved on recent weeks with best breaking the £100 barrier once again. Ewes are slightly in short supply at the moment nationally before the main influx of scanned empty ewes comes onto the market. Some very strong shapely ewes from M B Farms sold on a very strong trade up to £121 with 4 pens selling in excess of £100. More meated ewes were on offer throughout the entry which helped the averages.

Top prices this week included Beltex ewes to £121 from M B Farms , crossbred ewes to £105 from the same vendor, Suffolk crosses to £90 from M A  Piper & Son Farms, Mules to £76.50 from A C Hulme & Sons and Romneys to £70 from A G A Homewood.

Report on trade: Another strong trade for store hoggets with an abundance of keep around the country keeping prices high. Best stores sold readily at £65 plus and only small long term sorts made below £60. Averages 515 sold to £74 and aver. £58.

More store hoggets wanted every week – 460 in lamb ewes are entered for Tuesday 6^th February – see earlier in this report for details.

Report on trade: We ca report another firm trade here and with extra potential customers in attendance as the store cattle section entries increase week by week more finished cattle will be wanted and could be sold at favourable prices.

A run of continental cross steers from W Alexander (Shoreham) took the pick of the trade to average in excess of £1300 and up to £1349 (213p per kg) with other Limousin cross steers to £1240 (187p) from Gillshaw Farms Ltd and £1162 (185p) from G L Boulden & Sons while a Limousin cross heifer was well sold at £1158 (215p) from R F & E A Simmons. Dairy bred cattle made up to £1045 (200p) for Limousin x Friesian steer and pure Friesian steers up to £902 (181p) from A J Down.

Native bred cattle offered included a heavy Aberdeen Angus cross steer which made £1288 (176p) from P Shubrook and an Aberdeen Angus cross heifer £1122 (194p) from M A & F W Owen.

Report on trade: A smaller entry this week on a generally quieter market day met another very strong enquiry for all grades of cows. Less flesh was on offer amongst both the beef and dairy culls and the trade showed perhaps a little less intensity for the lean killing cows. Certainly more non assured cows were forward this week and the majority feeding types, which makes great sense, with plenty of buyers looking for the feeders and early grazers.

An outstanding Sussex cow from J & S Harmer topped the day at 156p per kg and £1158 with plenty of beef cows 125p-150p. Further Sussex  made 142p(2), 138p, 127p (Non FA) from S F G Wall and 128p, 126p Torry Hill Farms; Simmental cross 150p (Non FA) D R Miles and 146p Betchworth Estate; Limousin cross 142p (Non FA) R M Christie and 139p £1009 Betchworth Estate; Charolais cross 135p (Non FA) R M Christie; Stabiliser cross 133p Betchworth Estate; Blonde cross 126p (Non FA) J H & A H Godden and  Aberdeen Angus 125p (Non FA) Wey Street Farm LLP.

A mixed show of dairy culls remains a very positive trade with meat cows 120-130p for heavyweights but generally in very short supply.

Holstein 125p, 121p £1040 Appleton (ledger) Farms; Ayrshire 133p A N Waters; Guernsey 120p £973 W G & T A Manford and Brown Swiss cross 116p £918 D Murdoch & Sons.

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Report on trade: A small entry this week with 165 head expected next week.

J & K Webb offered 2 Bazadaise cross steers which made £1190 at 12 mths and £840 at 11 mths while 2 Sussex heifers made £750 at 21 and 22 mths from M Gibb

Vehicle parking on busy market days – Congestion in the bottom / livestock parking area

Please help us to help you. The upper car park on the top side of the market buildings is available for all cars and Land Rovers with trailers

Hay, Straw and fodder

For Sale – 90 5’ round bales of 2017 season gathered spring barley straw and 100 similar sized bales of wheat straw, all stored inside – Kent / Sussex borders. Ring 07835 521800

For Sale – Organic Hay, Haylage & Silage, Big Square and rounds. All good quality – Available East Sussex/Kent border. Contact Buckhurst Estate: Sharon 01892 770220 or Warren 07836 378044

This register will now run until early May for further details please ring our auctioneers office on 01233 502222 or Mark Cleverdon 07748 202688

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

Wanted – a cattle yard (or part of) with or without grazing for a small herd of up to 20 head of stock in the Maidstone area.  Contact Mark Cleverdon with details – 07748 202688

For Sale – 3 14 week old Collie puppiesin the Rye area. Ring 07808 656772

For Sale –a very well bred Beef Shorthorn bull, 20 mths old which is fully health checked and on a TB Low farm. Ring Mark Cleverdon for details

Wanted – up to 30 Sussex or Aberdeen Angus x Friesian heifers or young cows in calf to a Limousin bull. Ring Mark Cleverdon for details

Wanted – lambing assistant required for 700 ewes from mid March for 3 weeks at Hardres Court Farm, Nr. Canterbury. Ring 07976 433593

Grazing available in Hampshire for 300 Romney or Romney cross ewe lambs until mid September 2018. Ring 07785 793450

RABI, FCN, Young Farmers Clubs and Kent Herdsmans Club News

RABI

Farmhouse Breakfast season

Wednesday 24^th January – Medway Yacht Club, Lower Upnor, Rochester. ME2 4XB

Wednesday 24^th January at 8am – Greenfields, Sturry, Canterbury, Kent CT2 0NG

Friday 2^nd February – Macknade Fine Foods, Selling Road, Faversham ME13 8XF

Wednesday 7^th February – The Dirty Habit, Upper Street, Hollingbourne, Kent, ME17 IUW

Thursday 8^th February – Elham Valley Vineyard, Elham Valley Road, Barham, Kent CT4 6LN

Wednesday 14^th February – The Stockpot, Ashford Market, Ashford. TN24 0HB

Thursday 15^th February – Dog & Duck, Pluks Gutter, Canterbury, Canterbury, Kent CT3 1JB

Wednesday 21^st February 2018 – Farmhouse Breakfast – Chiddingstone Castle, Hill Hoath Road, Chiddingstone, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7AD

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

The National Beef Association – Beef magazine

The winter 2017/2018 copy of this magazine is now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker are pleased to be associated with the NBA who are doing good work to support beef cattle producers..

AHDB Beef and Lamb Levy Payer Open Meeting

Tuesday 30^th January 7pm – 9:30pm at Silvermere Golf & Leisure, Redhill Rd, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 1EF

AHDB Beef & Lamb invite everyone to join them for this open meeting hosted by your local Knowledge Exchange Manager, with Laura Ryan, AHDB Beef & Lamb Strategy Director and Adam Quinney, AHDB Beef & Lamb Chairman.

Programme – 7.00pm, Arrival with light refreshments. 7.30pm, Welcome- Strategy and Market update – Laura Ryan and Nerys Wright, KE Manager. Then – Export and Market Access update – AHDB Exports team; Marketing update – Consumer Marketing team; AHDB project farm – Insight into KE and R&D activity; Final questions and closing remarks – Adam Quinney with meeting closing at approx 9.30pm

To book your FREE place ring the AHDB KE Events Hub on 01904 771213 or email ke.events@ahdb.org.uk

Last year Jon Chapman was Marathon man!! This year Mark Cleverdon is having a go.

What did / would you do on your 62^nd birthday and 23^rd wedding anniversary?? Run and attempt to complete the London Marathon??

Our Mark is hoping to fulfil a personal ambition to complete the London Marathon in 2018 on a special day for him. The British Legion have provided him with his charity place to run and his aim is to raise £2000 (or more) in sponsorship for this worthy cause.

Donations to support Mark and the British Legion can be made by logging into to his charity page – www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mark-cleverdon , Texting CYMA56 £10 to 70070 or passing your donation to Mark himself or adding your name to his sponsors form here in the market.