Weekly Sales News – 27th March 2018

Sheep sales reports

Finished Hoggets – 3398 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Top price per head – £130 – R F & E A Simmons; Top price per kilo – 272p – C, M & G J Phipps

Report on trade Another big entry of hoggets (our records suggest this was part of the second largest sheep on a Tuesday since 2009!) and trade was very similar week on week with an overall impressive all weight average of 233.6p. The best export type handyweights sold readily around 245p with a pen of smart 44kg Texel crosses topping the market at £119.50 (272p) from C, M & G J Phipps.

Again a big percentage of heavyweights were on offer and the best of them attracted prices in excess of £120 and up to £130 for a cracking run of hoggets presented by R F & E A Simmons (160 topped at £130 and averaged £121.40). Other top runs included 146 continental and Suffolk crosses from O’Neil-Smith Ltd topping at £124 (Ave. £119.55) and 150 continental crosses from M A Piper & Son topping at £124.50 (Ave. £118.38).

A small entry of new season lambs for pre easter saw 40kg Texel crosses topping at £120 (300p) from M Friend the sale produced and an overall average of 271.83p.

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.

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Report on trade: Almost double the entry from last week and a fierce trade from start to finish with 6 individual buyers competing for all on offer. Best meated crossbreds made in excess of £100 and fleshed Romneys around £90.

An overall average of £81.12 and only very plain sorts below £60.

Report on trade: A similar strong trade again with best stores selling readily in excess of £85, only long term sorts below £70 and an impressive overall average of £74.

Again we repeat if you have stores to sell take advantage of these strong prices and give feeders time to finish before the end of the hogget season.

Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07748 202688

Report on trade: The entry were only young lambs this week and these sold to a slightly stronger demand than a week ago. The best reared lambs made £10 to £20, with smaller generally triplets £3 to £9.. Averages: Top £20 and aver’ £11.04.

Entries will increase for the next few weeks and they will be sold at 10.30am in the calf shed.

Auctioneer: Richard Wood

Report on trade: As with last week, there was quite a variation in the quality on offer within the finished section. Rates generally are holding well within the wholesale trade and certainly the high price of lamb, at home and abroad, cannot be doing any harm to beef sales.

We were short of quality cattle, in general, this week but our reliable quality vendors came up trumps with some very nice cattle at the top end. S Marsh took top honours in both sections with his Limousin steers to  229p per kg and his sweet Aberdeen Angus x continental heifer 230p. Others steers from S Marsh made 220p and £1317, 214p, 210p with Limousins from G L Boulden & Sons to 218p and £1305 and from D W Ferguson Ltd 210p. Top end heifers came from W Alexander(Shoreham) at 218p, 213p, 209p; from D W Ferguson Ltd 209p and from R  F & E A Simmons 207p.

A grand run of British Blue x Friesian steers from K E Budd sold to 187p and  generally made 175-185p and grossed to £1314. Fed continental x Friesians from A J Down made to 188p and his smart Black Bull also at 188p. Friesian steers made to 166p £1018 from R Price & Son.

Auctioneer: Richard Wood

Report on trade: Good numbers forward this week met another outstanding trade for all grades. We had predominately dairy culls this week with a wider range of quality, weight and finish amongst them but with customers out in strength we saw a marvellous trade for all.

Some very good fed crossbred beef cows, and a few purebred types, were again dearer. With their numbers tightening significantly nationally, prices are certainly going to be, at least, well maintained. A few lean older beef cows met demand for grazing.

Purebred Limousin cows from Beslee Farms made 177p and 168p, grossing £1307 and £1165; Limousin cross 165p, 160p(2),159p, 153p, 149p, 148p, 147p and £1251, £1220, £1217, £1141 Burden Bros; South Devon cross 154p, 150p, 149p, 148p, 144p and £1189, £1159, £1134, £1104 also from Burden Bros; Simmental cross 148p, 147p and £1143, £1091 again Burden Bros; Aberdeen Angus cross 146p, 141p and £1093 Burden Bros; Saler cross 145p, £1062 Burden Bros; British Blue cross 146p D W Ferguson and Charolais cross 143p £1047 M J Ashworth.

A bigger show of dairy culls and quality quite variable through the entry with more leaner lightweights on offer. Averages might be a little less but, like for like, cows would again be dearer with a wide range of customers keen to buy processing beef.

Holstein overage heifers 147p, 139p, £1106 D Murdoch & Sons; British Friesian 139p(2), 138p, 136p(2) £1053, £1025 Debden Court Farm; 139p B J Goodsell & Son and 136p R F & E A Simmons; Dairy Shorthorn 139p R L W Parrett; Holstein Friesian 138p £1121 J Leggat & Son;  137p £1379, 134p £1081 J E Scutt &Sons; 135p, 131p, £1184 Huddlestone Farmers; 133p, £1146 R Torrance & Son; 132p M W Goddard and 132p G R Edgar.

No bulls but always wanted.

Report on trade: Although this was a much reduced entry after several busy weeks the sale was very well attended with potential customers and trade was brisk throughout and on a par with recent weeks. A pen of smart Limousin cross yearling steers topped the beef bred sorts at £1015 from K I Lingham & Son while older sorts to feed short term topped at £1120 for a 20 mths British Blue cross heifer from P R Baylis.

Several customers were in attendance for heifers suitable to breed and attractive premiums above store value were available notably for 17-18 mths Simmental x Friesian heifers at £1010 from R P Kent & Son and 15-16 mths Hereford x Friesian heifers at £850 from Swanley Farms.

Large entries are now expected for the next 6 to 8 weeks ­- 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 sale.

Principal prices include:                                                                                                                  

Report on trade: A small entry of calves suggested dairy farmers were thinking more about fieldwork at home than coming to market. The entry were all young calves demand was “off the boil” compared with recent sales.

The best young continental cross calves were British Blue crosses from J W Boyd and Sons and Appleton (Ledger) Farms and these main to £185 for bulls and the same price for heifers. W S Furnival Ltd sold an early March born British Blue at £245. The Kingcott Dairy “team” saw their January born Aberdeen Angus bulls make to £262. Dairy bulls made to £148 for an October born from Goddard & Son, £112 for a January born from W S Furnival Ltd and £10 to £50 for young models.

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

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Report on trade: The pig trade continues in not a very good place despite the small entry in the pens.

P W & P Sim sold his best finished pigs at 94p per kg with C Guest and S J M Evans pigs making 88p.

The short week dampened demand in the cull pens with 25p the best shot for a large heavy sow and 20p for their large white boar.

No store pigs were offered.

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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

Marathon man!! This year Mark Cleverdon.

Our Mark is hoping to fulfil a personal ambition to complete the London Marathon on Sunday 22^nd April .

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.

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Farm Assurance

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

British Wool Board announcement re Wool sheets

Tuesdays 14^th and 21^st April – Wool sheets will be available here in Ashford Market for farmers and smallholders to collect.

Hay, Straw and fodder

For Sale – 210 small twine wrapped bales of un-sprayed clean meadow hay from old lay made in July 2017. Ashford area. Collect only. Ring 01233 627087

For Sale – 47 round bales of 2017 season made haylage – analysed. Buyer to collect. 01303 840112

For Sale – up to 300 Class 4string rectangular bales of wrapped hayledge made for a 2^nd year seeds lay. Delivery can be arranged – mid Kent. Ring 07711167467

For Sale – Large quantity of 2017 ensiled forage maize – analysis available. East Kent. Ring 07739 490975

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 – visiting shepherd to the area is looking for a Border Collie to stand at stud to a working bitch. Phone 07860 469597

For Sale – 4 well bred British Blue bulls – East Kent. Ring Simon on 07885 968077

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

Wanted – work for an experienced relief lamber available for immediate start.  This is a farmers daughter able to help with feeding, bedding, walking out as well as lambing loking for a position  within 10mile radius of Folkestone. Ring 07838 215446.

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

Easter Saturday 31^st March – South East Hunts Club; Charing, Kent. TN27 0JS – 2pm

Easter Monday 2^nd April – East Kent: Aldington, Kent. TN25 7EJ – 2pm.

Sunday 15^th April – Mid Surrey Farmers Drag; Godstone, Surrey. RH9 8DB, Surrey – 2.15pm

Saturday 21^st April – Old Surrey, Burstow and West Kent; Penshurst, Kent. TN8 7DD – 2pm

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

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

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

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.

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

RABI

Future fundraising events

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

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

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

Kent Herdsmans Club

Monday 12th March 2018 at 7.30pm – talk by Stuart Sillars of the BTF Partnership at the Conningbrook Hotel, Canterbury Road, Ashford.

For all details on Herdsman’s Club events contact Chairman Alan Jull 07708283220 or Jo Masters 01580 240568

Ashford Young Farmers Club

Sunday 15th April  – All are welcome to join them at their Lambing Open day at Hope Farm, Wittersham TN30 7NP from 10am to 4pm

If you would like more information please contact Amy Langdon 07733 481473

**Calling all Ex Ashford Young Farmers**  You are invited to a 75th Anniversary Tea Party on Saturday 30th Juneto reminisce about past time at Ashford YFC over tea and cake. More details to follow.

Please contact Amy Langdon 07733 481473 or Jennifer Hope 07876 695872 with your contact details to receive your invite.

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

Our next Auction Sales are ……

Equestrian Sale

Thursday 12^th April at 10am – Catalogues now available

New & nearly new saddlery & tack, grooming kit, yard equipment, rugs, harness

Riding boots, show jackets, jodhpurs, body protectors, yard clothing & boots

Collective Machinery & Equipment Sale

Friday 20^th April at 9.30am – Entries close 30^th March

New & nearly new mowers & garden machinery

New tools, farm & agricultural equipment, timber plus large selection of miscellaneous items.

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