Weekly Sales News – 25th October 2016

Top price per kilo – 193p:  Top price per head – £91.50 – P Mills

Report on trade: A small entry of lambs forward today selling on an improved trade to the last couple of weeks but it must be said that a greater proportion of this weeks finished sheep were heavier and better meat than we saw last week. Nationally numbers were starting to show a decline last week and this has in turn caused trade to lift to a level that is some 24p/kg and £10/hd above the levels we saw for the same week last year. Well meated export grade lambs were in short supply but the top of these were some 41kg lambs from CS Wills Trust that sold to £79/hd (193p/kg) but the best lambs sold on the day were the heavy weights which averaged 175p/kg to a top price of £91.50 (twice) for Mr Paul Mills for 51kg lambs, closely followed by WG Watkins & Sons at £90 for some cracking 50kg lambs.

Report on trade: A smaller entry of ewes this week but once again several leaner sorts in the pens which were well sold to the grazing buyers. Meated sorts were slightly improved on last week but it would be fair to say the best ewes were better than last weeks best ewes! Best end of the ewes sold to £81 from Roundhurst Farms and the majority of grazing types sold between £35 and £50/hd.

Top Prices:

Texel Cross Ewes form Roundhurst Farms sold to £81/hd, Crossbred Ewes to £75 from M Hooker & Sons, Mules to £65/hd from the same vendor and Romneys to £59.50 from S Weller & Sons.

Report on trade: Store lambs a little less money with prices easier by some £2 to £3 per head, partly reflecting the reduced returns available in the finished market and partly the relatively high percentage of small long term lambs as some producers come towards the end of their runs for this season. Nevertheless the best of the lambs attracted prices in excess of £60 and up to £66 for Texel crosses, consigned by Watership Down Partnership. P H & P E Skinner and L F Crisford & Sons while the best of the Romneys sold around the  £55 per head mark. Smaller poorer bred lambs proved the most difficult  with the majority ranging in the £40 to £50 per head.

A few more potential customers in attendance for ewe tegs with mules topping at £120 from Little Boarzell Farms Ltd, Suffolk x Mule to £116 from R E Hanks and Romney’s to £108 from P J Greenway. Small second quality sorts generally £75 to £95 per head.

A strong trade for the best of the breeding ewes with the pick of the prices as follows:-

Texel x Romney 1 lamb – £100 from C J & S E Fryer

Romney 3 lamb – £102 from G Homewood

Romney 4 lamb – £93.50 from W Stewart Wood

Plenty of customers in attendance for breeding rams late in the season with competitive prices throughout. Prices included below.

Report on trade: A disappointing entry after recent weeks of favourable prices and more could have been sold at similar prices. Today’s trade was very similar with top quality  heifers from M B Farms taking the pik of the trade at £1238 (232p) and £1215 (232p) while a smart British Blue cross heifer sold well at £1207 (218p) from regular consignor S. Marsh. Other top prices included a Limousin cross steer at £1259 (212p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) while heavy weights grossed well with Charolais cross steers at £1317 (190p) from Gillshaw Farms Ltd and Limousin cross steers at £1283 (191p) from R F & E A Simmons.

A small selection of native breeds with a Sussex steer topping at £1112 (173p) from Roundhurst Farms Ltd.

A similar trade for Bulls with 20 mths Limousin cross to £1112 (180p) from T Castle & Son.

Report on trade: A surprisingly small show of cull cows this week with little or no flesh on offer. Trade stronger throughout though prices and averages reflecting quality rather than the trade! Feeders still active but the big manufacturers still finding the poor yielding plain cows costly to process.

Smart fleshed assured Limousin cross and Sussex cows from Chandler & Dunn to 128p and 124p; Aberdeen Angus cross 119p J Berryman; Hereford (Non FA) 116p Mrs BP Britton; Blue (NonFA) 112p W Pynn.

Poor show of dairy culls but the best trade for some weeks. Little flesh on offer to really excite. Younger British Friesian (Non FA) 119p V&C Smith; Half meat Holstein cows to 109p (2) R Torrance & Son.

Report on trade: A quality show of store cattle with a high percentage of beef bred Continental crosses on offer. Several runs of weaned calves sold well with the steers around £750 and attracted a lot of local interest while the best of the yearlings comprised a run of smart Limousin crosses from D G & J W Gore which were well received with the steers topping at £945 and heifers to £770. The bulk of the sale included runs of 18 mths Continental crosses with the top run of the day comprising of a run of 63 Limousin crosses from A J Bray with the majority of the steers at £990 plus and up to £1128 and heifers £900 plus to a top of £995.

A relatively small entry of native breeds with the best of the Aberdeen Angus crosses up to £1000 for steers from R & H Vincent and heifers from R Winstone and Sussex steers up to £1025 from Piper Farms.

Auctioneer: Richard Wood

Report on trade: A better selection of beef bred calves this week, notably a run of Limousin crosses from Bocketts Farm Ltd whose 4 week bulls sold from £260 to £360 with one superb 3 week old calf topping at £410. British blue bulls from J E Scutt & Sons with regular consignments to £290 at 3 weeks and smart 9 mweek heifers £315 and £300, W G & T A Manford’s 4 week British blue bulls to £295. Amongst the older calves 10 week old Simmental bulls from H O Champneys Ltd  to £310 and heifers £350 while a July born Blue bull from R Torrance & Son sold to £395 and heifers to £285.

Not much quality in the black and white lines with killing sorts anything from £5 to £60, with rearing potential selling to £72 from W F Farms.

Please keep your entries of calves coming. At our fortnightly sales we expect to have plenty of enquiries for all shapes, sizes and ages of stock. Thank you all for texts and messages with early notice of your entries for forthcoming sales – it does help.

Please confirm entries on Monday so we can inform the buyers.

Report on trade: A very strong trade for a good quality entry of finished pigs perhaps assisted by the prospect of Halloween and Bonfire parties in the next week or two! Shape and finish ever critical but good pigs regularly over 120p; secondary types and lean boars at lesser money but certainly dearer overall. Sows generally 50-55p; Boars 40-45p with an enormous 410kg boar grossing £184.50.

SJM Evans 128p, 126p; PW&P Sim  127p, 125p, 123p; high Weald Academy 125p (2); S Scott & Son 121p; N Dance 121p.

A decent trade for a small offering of store pigs. Clean white pigs in demand to £46 from R Green, others to £37 and £30 T Higgins. Coloured and weaker shaped pigs harder work.

Market sponsorship

We are very gratrfeful to Elanco Animal Health, the Farmers Guardian and AgriLloyd for their support of Romney and Sussex Day competitions.

The Farmers Guardian website has about 50 photographs from market on that day in their Photo Gallery which many of you may wish to look at.

Correction: Published results for Romney Day ewe lambs should have read 3rd prize – W T Kemp, Brook, Wye £108 purchased by G H Stirling & Son. 4^th prize – Torry Hill Farms, Sittingbourne £107 purchased by G H Stirling & Son

Notices – Jesse Reeve.

We have been asked by Jesse’s family and friends to advise that he recently, very tragically, passed away. Jesse was true countryman having been brought up in a farming family and as a family man, livestock farmer and market supporter well have been known to many people and will be greatly missed.

There will be a memorial service at Playden Church near Rye on Wednesday 2^nd November at 2pm.

Who is the Vicar ?? – our new Rural Business Chaplin

Many regular livestock market users have asked this question in recent weeks since Rev. Chris Hodkgins started attending the market on Tuesdays. Chris has been appointed Rural Business Chaplin for the South East, alongside his role as vicar for Rolvenden, by the Church of England, to provide spiritual support for those living and working in our rural community.

Chris has a farming and agricultural background and understands many of the problems faced by those living and working in the rural community. Please do not be afraid to say “hello” to him and make him feel welcome in Ashford.

His appointment is supported by FCN, the Farming Community Network, who also provide support to individuals and families again living and working in the rural community. This bodies Helpline number is 03000 111 999.

Locally FCN is always looking for volunteers to help with their work and Anthony Hyde on 01795 830355 will be pleased to hear from anyone prepared to help. Visit www.fcn.org.uk to help understand the work done by FCN.

Kent Farmers Ball and Farming Awards 2016

This event, promoted by Pitchfork events and RAMSAK, was held at The Kent Showground last Saturday with nearly 300 people sitting down to dinner.

During the evening the Kent Farming awards were presented to M B Farms, Stockbury as Beef farmers of the year; A A Clifton, Romney Marsh as best Arable farmers; Hickson Bros, Dover as best Dairy farmers; Mrs J Seath and family as best Family farming business; Edward and Robert Hanks as Sheep farmers of the year and the Pascells of Clockhouse Farm, Coxheath were best Fruit farmers.

The event was a fundraiser to support young people who are seeking a career in farming by support training costs. More information on this project is available from the AGRENA (Ramsak) team on 01622 815356

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The October edition of this popular regional farming magazine is now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker are regular contributors to the editorial content.

News from Kent / South East RABI

The South East RABI would like to say “Thank you for supporting the recent harvest supper here in the market. Over 160 people attended and we all had a wonderful meal prepared by the Stock Pot and over £6,000 was raised in aid of R.A.B.I.

Dates for your diary include

Tuesday 13^th December at 6pm for 6.30pm – Carols at Christmas will be held again in the Cattle Sales ring here in Ashford Market.

Farmers Weekly Awards 2016

We congratulate from the 3 nominees, who have connections with the market and Hobbs Parker, Gordon Wyeth from Ropley, Hampshire on winning the Sheep Farmer of the Year award.

General news

Updated 26 Ocotber 2016

Wanted – Teaser ram for a Romney marsh farm. Ring 01303 873160 .

Wanted – grazing / mowing grass within 10 miles radius of Charing. Ring 07714292024 or 07730496037.

For Sale – up to 70 acres of standing maize (estimated 20 tonne per acre crop) which was direct drilled and with good access in West Kent. Contact Elwyn Davies on 07710 803901 for details

Wanted – winter stock housing. Have you the buildings, the food and the time to have up to 200 beef cattle this winter in ideally a TB4 area? Enquiries will be treated in confidence. Please contact Peter Kingwill.

Grass keep available – 12 month grazings near Andover for smart shorn Romney ewe lambs third week Sept start. Will accept multiples of 200 but would prefer 600 as a lot. Contact Ted Sclater 07785793450 or 01264736420 to discuss.

Kent Herdsmans Club – For all details on Herdsman’s Club events contact Chairman Sandra Brown on 01233 502796 or Jo Masters 01580 240568. Meetings at the Conningbrook Hotel, Ashford.

Monday 14th November at 7.30pm – a talk by John Arthur Boyd about his travels around the UK and his book.

Collective Machinery & Equipment auction

Friday 11^th November at  9.30am. Catalogues will be available shortly

New & nearly new mowers & garden machinery

New tools, farm & agricultural equipment, timber plus large items of plant and farm machinery.

This sale will include a dispersal of farm machinery and vehicles on behalf of the Late Trevor Ashdown. On offer will be a 2006 Mercedes 815 lorry with 7.5tonne livestock body, a 2004 John Deere 5820 tractor with 631 power loader, a 1962 Massey Ferguson 35X tractor, an Ifor Williams 6PE livestock trailer and other livestock farming miscellany.

Further consignments of good quality near new and used tools are also already entered including 100 lots of professional mechanics tools for Executors; 38 ladders and other equipment on behalf of Kent Fire and Rescue and 70 ex-demo professional power tools.