Weekly Sales News – 24th April 2018

Top price per head – £150.50 – R H Smith; Top price per kilo – 300p  – Betchworth Estate

Report on trade Another good sized entry of sheep on offer this week and a show of fantastic quality hoggets, given the time of year and recent weather conditions. Trade was fantastic with some prices getting back up to the highs we saw two weeks ago as numbers nationally have been in decline and wholesale demand is still strong. We saw some very smart continental hoggets hit the 300p per kg mark for 42kg (£126) from Farmers Direct Ltd and several other smart sheep were selling between 250p and 300p. Heavy sheep offerings were where we saw some super runs with a tremendous run from P Gorringe selling to a top of £150 with the majority of making over £135. R H Smith also presented some super hoggets and these sold up to £150.50 and £141. Once again a huge percentage of the sheep on offer made in excess £100 but with these fantastic prices we are seeing we must ask our vendors to present their sheep both clean and empty.

A small entry of  new seasons lambs again this week as the conditions for rearing early lambs this year have been testing to say the least. The lambs on offer are selling on a trade that is a little stronger than the hoggets but with the small numbers on offer nationally, there hasn’t been enough available to enable butchers or wholesalers to swap their kill over to new season lambs and consequently put some real life into the trade. Best offerings sold to £123 from D J Cole & Sons and the majority sold between 280-300p.

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 much smaller entry of ewes were on offer this week which sold on a super trade throughout. We keep on saying possibly the dearest we have sold but each week appears to exceed the previous. We did not have the same level of quality on offer this week but still several ewes sold in excess of £100 to a top price of £123 from K & P M Sinden.

Top prices this week included Suffolk ewes to £123 from K & P M Sinden, continental ewes to £119.50 from J Wayman, Mules to £103 from Montreal Estates and Romneys to £103 from D Wimble.

Report on trade: A large entry of store hoggets late in the season sold exceptionally well to top at £100.50 for Charollais cross from A J Thompson & Sons with an impressive overall average of £87. Best stores sold readily in excess of £90 and only very small sorts made below £80.

Report on trade: Not the best lambs on offer this week and a buyers day with all lambs sold between £4 and £15. Average £7.44.

Report on trade: An increased entry of finished cattle met a very similar trade on the week with the best handyweight Limousin crosses taking the pick of the trade around 210p per kg notably a steer up to £1194 (210p) from R F & E A Simmons and a heifer topping the market at £1216 (214p) from W Alexander (Shoreham).

Cattle with more weight grossed well up to £1374 (209p) for a Limousin cross steer again from W Alexander (Shoreham) while majority of continental x Friesian steers from A J Down attracted prices in excess of 190p with a British Blue x Friesian steer selling at £1133 (191p) and a Simmental x Friesian steer at £1112 (196p).

Native bred cattle attracted keen interest with an Aberdeen Angus cross heifer grossing well at £1263 (176p) from Boyes & New, a run of purebred Sussex steers to made £1048 (186p) from J G & D G White and smart Sussex cross steers at £1114 (205p) from D W Ferguson Ltd.

Friesian steers topped at £1052 (161p) from R Price & Son and a small entry of over 30 mths grossed up to £1170 (163p) for a Friesian heifer from J W Boyd & Sons Ltd.

Report on trade: Numbers are holding up very well considering the season and the fact that most herds now out to grass. Trade remains at outstanding levels with demand  insatiable and competition fierce around the ring. Supplies are always at their tightest at this time of the year and with the season so late we cannot expect too much from the grass very early.

A few more beef cows in the pens this week and a few less plain dairy culls. Averages were higher though trade similar overall to recent high levels. Nothing fancy in terms of quality but best made up over 150p per kg and £1200.

Best calls included Charolais at 154p, 151p and grossing £1050 (Non FA) from J Gunner; Blonde crosses 148p £1047 Gardners and 143p £1005 R M & J Penny; Simmental cross 146p (Non FA) G Gregory; South Devon 144p £1213 Gardners; Limousin cross 139p Boyes & New; Aberdeen Angus cross 137p, 134p £1044 J Loveridge; British Blue cross 136p £1003 (Non FA) D E Hodges and 135p Gardners; Beef Shorthorn 135p, 134p J Loveridge and Sussex 132p (Non FA) Mrs D Ashbee.

In the dairy lines a Norwegian Red cross made 141p E P Knight; Holstein Friesians 139p, 136p, 135p(2), 134p £1205, £1163, £1139 Appleton (Ledger) Farms; 136p(2), 134p £1117, £1064 Hall Place Farms and British Friesians to 134p E P Knight.

A 7yr old Simmental cross steer 155p and £1188, 10 yr old Charolais cross £1066 and Holstein bulls 111p, 108p and £1082.

Report on trade: Well over 500 store cattle again sold to another very strong trade as the ground warms up and the grass really gets going. Not quite so many suckler bred cattle were on offer this week and there were good runs of native breeds, particularly Aberdeen Angus, and more dairy purebreds and crosses. Buyers around the ring were from far and wide and brought great depth to demand and all ages, for grazing and yarding, and all cattle offered were a tremendous trade.

Best of the yearling beef cattle again made up over £1000 with a Charolais from J R Gunner top call at £1100. Older beef bred cattle were in short supply but much in demand from yard finishers and regularly made £1100 to £1200, topping at £1190 for Limousin from A J Thompson & Sons.

Native bred cattle met a marvellous trade with the hard, hairy yearlings, ready for spring grass keenly sought after from start to finish. Aberdeen Angus, Hereford, Sussex and Beef Shorthorn breeds were all well represented. Older Aberdeen Angus, in particular, sold outstandingly with the top end well past £1200 to a top of £1275 from for a steer from P M Thomas.

There was more interest in the dairy bred and Holstein Friesian cattle with out wintered types very positive indeed.

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: A big entry of calves in the pens with 16 individual sellers and 19 buyers doing business in this section. Generally a competitive trade throughout the sale with particularly keen demand for young black and white bull calves to rear.

Highlights this week included T Castle and Son selling mainly January born Limousin x British Friesian bulls calves to £340 and averaging £311and a Hereford cross heifer at £300, N J & G M Lambert 10 mainly February born black and white bulls to £132 and averaging £100, Appleton (Ledger) Farms mainly February born British Blue bulls to £295 and heifers to £250, P J Forknalls April born British Blue bull made £310 and Aberdeen Angus bull £215, J E SCutt & Sons February born British Blue bulls to £305 with 5 averaging £265, J C & S K Williams late March and April born calves made to £265 for a British Blue bull and R L W Parretts April born British Blue and Simmental cross bulls making up to £305 with 7 averaging £260.

In the stirk pens H O Champneys Ltd weaned Simmentals born in December 2017 saw bulls make £450and heifers £360 to £410 and M Gammons Hereford cross heifers £310.

Sales will be offered fortnightly again through the whole of 2018. Please keep in touch whether you are a buyer or seller.

Report on trade: A larger entry of good pigs in the pens were met by a good number of buyers all present and prepared to take their share. Again it is  very pleasing to report a spark in the trade and good demand in this section. The cull trade was very much “stand on” and well bred young store pigs sold well.

Good finished pigs made to 112p per kg twice with 33 pigs out of 65 making over 100p. Top grossing pigs were £101 and £104 from N Dance and H Hawkins. Light Oxford Sandy Blacks from C Bull made 92p and £57 and all pigs sold averaging £83.97.

3 Heavy cull sows made 34p and all the best fleshed were 30p plus. A good shaped boar made 32p and a heavyweight grossed £90.

Store and breeding pigs were offered with a Berkshire sow and small team of nine making £250 and good weight weaners up to £36.

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

Hobbs Parker and Ashford Livestock Market

We are the South East’s principle livestock market selling around 250,000 head of cattle, sheep and pigs in 2017.

Weekly sales throughout the year of all classes of stock, principally on Tuesdays, run by a fully professional team of auctioneers and support staff, they provide an unmatched level of service and commitment to the livestock farmers in the area. Come and see us on market day soon and bring your livestock for us to sell

Hobbs Parkers Marathon men!!

This year Mark Cleverdon and John Rossiter both ran the London Marathon.

and both completed the course. Through generous sponsorship they have raised over £10,000 between them for Royal British Legion, The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (UK) and Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance.

There is a picture of the two on the Hobbs Parker Auctioneers facebook page.

Both would like to say a big “Thank you” to all their friends and colleagues as well as the whole “Market community” for the support and encouragement the have enjoyed during the weeks leading up to the event

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

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales include ……

Headcorn Farm Machinery Sale

Saturday 12^th May at 9.30am

Lots already entered include tractors, trailers, vehicles, arable equipment, haymaking equipment, tractor attachments & spares, livestock kit, garden machinery, workshop tools, a large and varied selection of rural bygones.

Upto 500 lots of shrubs and garden plants and hedging and trees will also be offered

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

For Sale – 7 Farm bred Collie puppies (5 bitches and 12 dogs. Ready in mid May – East Kent. Ring 07595 830165.

Wanted – Experienced full time farm worker for a mixed livestock and arable farm in the Reigate area. Accommodation available. Ring 07885 649666

For Sale – Pedigree Hereford bull, 6 years old on a West Sussex farm. Ring 07849 638530

For Sale – 30mths old well bred and grown Simmental bull – East Sussex.

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

RABI

Future fundraising events

Saturday 28^th April – Barn Dance at Ryarsh Village Hall, Birling Road, Ryarsh, West Malling. ME19 5LS

Sunday 13^th May 2018 – Tour of Chapel Down Vineyard, Chapel Down Winery, Small Hythe, Tenterden, Kent TN30 7NG

Wednesday 23^rd May – Meet the Chairman Event at Plumpton College, Ditchling Road, Lewes. BN7 3AE. Please advise intention to attend to Sally Field – sally.field@rabi.org.uk

Wednesday 27^th June – Champagne, Strawberries & Jazz at the Kent County Showground, Detling. ME14 3JF

Saturday 29^th September – Annual harvest Supper – Amos hall, Ashford Market, Ashford. TN24 0HB

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

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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

Saturday 28^th April – Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray; Parham, West Sussex. RH20 2ER – 2pm

** Rearranged fixture. Sunday 6^th May – East Kent: Aldington, Kent. TN25 7EJ – 2pm.

Original complimentary tickets will still be valid for this meeting **

Saturday 12^th May – Surrey Union; Peper Harrow, Surrey. GU8 6LA – 2pm

Thursday 17^th May – Fontwell Park; United Hunts – 3pm.