Weekly Sales News – 23rd June 2020

Top price per kilo –263p – C A Worley Farming Ltd; Top price per head – £123 – D J Morphett

Report on trade: Another great entry of new season lambs on offer this week with over 2,000 penned and with a huge number of top quality export grade lambs amongst them. Trade has made an unexpected recovery from last weeks dip with reports of shortages on the continent due to some abattoirs closing under Covid-19 restrictions in Germany. This certainly has had a positive impact with the overall average of the lambs sold being up by almost 20p per kg. Once again top spot was taken by C A Worley Farming Ltd at 263p for some very shapey Beltex lambs at 38kgs but there was several other vendors with lambs selling in excess of 250p including G H Dean & Co, T Husk, G Husk and M B Farms.

Heavier sorts are still in short supply and top spot was taken by D J Morphett at £123 with some very heavy Charollais lambs with second place taken by M B Farms at £111 for some cracking continental cross lambs at 48kgs.

Just a few hoggets on offer with the same trade as we have seen for a few weeks now. Meated hogs without erupted teeth sold from £75 to £85 and those with 2 broad teeth selling from £60 to £75.

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: Very short on numbers this week in the ewe department and this in turn has helped the trade to lift a little, with averages up £12 on the week, but the quality on offer was better than in recent weeks which must be taken into account. The best end of the ewes made over £90 which would be up by about £5 on the week to a top price of £92 from S & V Bullock. Ewes to graze are selling well with many buyers present for these each week and selling from £45 to £65.

Top prices included Suffolk crosses to £8 from N A Balcomb & Son and W Pynn Contractors Ltd, Texel crosses to £92 from S & V Bullock, crossbreds to £76 from C Harber and Romneys to £82.50 from N A Balcomb & Son.

Report on trade: A much improved trade for an increased number with 40% of this entry making in excess of 200p per kg and topping at £1140 (222p) for a smart Limousin cross heifer from W Alexander (Shoreham). Other top runs included continental cross heifers ranging from 202p to 212p with the majority grossing in excess of £1100 and up to £1184 from A J Thompson & Sons. A run of mixed breeds from D W Page & Son saw the pick of the continental cross heifers £1214 (200p) and £1135 (207p), a Sussex steer £1294 (208p) and Aberdeen Angus cross heifer £1036 (190p) while a run of British Blue crosses from J Hooker sold well with steers up to £1119 (204p) and heifers to £1267 (210p).

Other top prices included a Limousin cross steer £1146 (207p) from R F & E A Simmons, British Blue cross heifer £1130 (206p) from E & J H Maylam and British Blue cross steers with weight up to £1302 (192p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) and £1287 (197p) from K & P M Sinden & Sons.

Native bred cattle also sold well with Aberdeen Angus steer £1169 (197p) from B G & M A Tomsett and Aberdeen Angus cross heifer £1154 (187p) from A K F Dod.

Report on trade: In the heat of the midday sun another very good entry of cows for the time of year met another marvellous trade with more customers around the sale ring. Certainly not the overall quality of last week with less flesh on offer and a high proportion of non-assured stock but there were customers for all grades and competition was intense. Feeding cows in particular were an outstanding trade and autumn calving herds would be well advised to take stock of cows as they are weaned/dried off and take advantage of these current levels.

Beef cows with flesh, and assured, regularly made up over 150p per kg with younger types, under 4 yrs, selling up to 168p. Feeding beef cows were an outstanding trade with plenty, assured or not, 135p to 160p. Only a few of the plainest, oldest or smallest made under 100p.

Less flesh certainly on the dairy culls but plenty regularly 120p to 135p with good types grossing over £1250. Very few made below 100p.

Bulls strengthening with three fleshed, but non assured, commercial bulls well sold.

In the beef lines Hereford crosses 168p £972 Bocketts Farm and 123p £876 (Non FA) B C Ginger; Blonde cross 159p £1014 (Non FA) R M & J Penny; Charolais cross 153p £1060 A J Thompson & Sons and 146p £946 (Non FA) H F Brown & Son; Sussex 152p 150p 148p 141p £1127 £1053 £1018 Torry Hill Farms and 128p £1097 (Non FA) Cobtree YFC; British Blue cross 153p 147p 142p £1091 £976 Blythe Model Farm and 146p £873 (Non FA) N A Vincent; Bazadaise cross 148p £900 Blythe Model Farm; Limousin cross 146p 145p £1026 W G Vant & Sons; Aberdeen Angus cross 144p £854 R F & E A Simmons; Lincoln Red 134p £800 (Non FA) N Morgan and White Park (Horned and Non FA) 119p (2) £800 John Boyd (Farms) Ltd.

In the dairy section Holstein Friesian 135p £1252 W S Furnival Ltd; 133p 124p (2) £974 £967 £926 Oncoland Ltd; 128p £988 Leggat Farming and 123p £833 J W Boyd & Sons Ltd.

Bulls Limousin 119p £1262; Sussex 109p £1069 and Stabiliser 107p £1054.

Report on trade: A good entry of store cattle for the time of the year comprising a real mix of quality, breed and age. Trade was however brisk throughout with confidence at ringside boosted by the recent improvement in returns for the finished product.

Best beef bred continental yearlings made in excess of £800 with a run of smart 15-16 mths sorts from W Pynn Contractors Ltd taking the pick of the trade. Their Simmental cross steers to £1165 and Limousin cross heifers to £950.

A relatively large percentage of native bred cattle attracted competitive bidding with strong Sussex steers topping the market at £1275 from The Montreal Estate and Aberdeen Angus cross steers well sold at £1200 from R & H Vincent.

Please contact us if you have store cattle to sell. We have lots of enquiries and interest with competitive prices to match.

Report on trade: A nice selection of cow and calf outfits this week saw the trade top at £1,360 for a 2012 born British Blue cross cow with a tremendously powerful Limousin cross heifer calf from N A Vincent. Trade continued to be strong throughout with A W Vincent selling a strong 2004 Limousin cross cow with late May born Aberdeen Angus cross steer calf for £1,140 and a run of young TB Edge British Blue cross cows with British Blue calves sold to £1,000 from A P Skudder.

Report on trade: An entry lacking the real superstars that we have become used to in the past few weeks. Trade a little easier on the fortnight with one or two buyers making hay whilst the sun shines.

Continentals look a fair trade for the entry with a top of £280 from D Murdoch and Sons for a British Blue and Limousins from J Gormley also to £280 in the bull section. Plenty of continental bull calves in the £200 – £250 region. Continental heifers sold to £200 (x2) from J Warnock & Son for British Blues and £200 for Limousins again from J Gormley.

Fewer natives about this this week but trade still looking sharp. Bulls to £270 for Aberdeen Angus from D Murdoch & Sons and from J Gormley. Heifers generally easier on the week with £220 the top with an Aberdeen Angus from A & W J Hitchcock.

The black and white trade has eased a little on the fortnight, an entry missing the stronger dairy bulls that we have seen recently also slightly alters the figures. Top price of £70 was for a Holstein bull from A & W J Hitchcock.

A few weanlings this week with a pen of March born TB Edge Hereford steers from J Skinner & Son selling for £300 and Mrs T Higgins topping the trade at £340 for a TB Low Aberdeen Angus heifer. Help to sell your weanlings as well as possible by presenting them for sale with plenty of size!

Please do try to book calves in for sale at least the night before the sale to help us to help you sell your calves as well as we can!

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

For Sale – 65 Romney and Lleyn x Romney ewes with lambs (close to 200%) – East Kent. Ring Simon for details 07885 968077

Wanted – hardworking and enthusiastic young person looking for harvest / livestock work on farm in the south east. Ring Lucy on 07710 264920

For Sale – large quantity of 2019 season gathered maize silage on a Romney Marsh farm

Relief farm worker required – for general livestock duties including milking, feeding, calf rearing and general husbandry. Would suit a self-employed person but position is flexible located near Dartford. Please call Iain on 07738 445530 for more information.

Local Agricultural Show and ploughing match dates and news

Agricultural shows in the region which are now cancelled include Royal Norfolk, Kent County, Singleton Rare Breeds and Aylsham (Norfolk). Sadly Moreton in Marsh (Gloucestershire) has now finally cancelled and the Bath and West has now cancelled from its rescheduled date.

The Weald of Kent, East Kent and East Sussex Ploughing matches have now all been cancelled for this year.