Weekly Sales News – 29th June 2021

New Season Lambs – Top price per head – £125 – D J Morphett.: Top price per kilo – 300p kg – G Husk

Report on trade: Just a few less penned this week with just over 1,500 lambs on offer following talk of the trade being in decline. Many lambs offered were sold on a similar trade to last week, with the smaller, lighter weight grass fed lambs being the most reduced in price. This has hit the averages in the SQQ price bracket.

Heavier sorts and the smarter export types were sold on a par with last week with the best topping at 300p per kg from G Husk for some lightweight Texel lambs, with D J Morphett at the other end of the weight scale with heavy weight Charollais to £125. Other strong runs on offer from C & J Georgetti & Sons topped at £118.50 and G H Dean & Co with a fantastic run of Beltex lambs which averaged in excess of £100. Numbers are starting to fall away now with the decline in prices and the end of the early lamb crop but trade is still buoyant and well ahead of last years prices

Please keep the lambs coming and contact us with numbers so we can notify the buyers.

Auctioneer: James Cook

Report on trade: Cull ewes this week remained in strong demand, with the top price of the day £155 for a Texel ewe from D Masters followed by S W Batch with some strong Texel’s making £150. Once again many of the ewes sold in excess of £100 with only 9 lots selling below £75.

Lean ewes also found strong demand with a pen from M J Ashworth selling to £98 for the slaughter market along with many others selling well to prices beyond their grazing value by a long way.

Suffolk’s made to £129 from H J Gauntlett & Sons, continentals to £155 from D Masters, Mules to £107 from J & C Kellett and Romneys to £108 from G L Boulden & Sons.

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Report on trade: Another decent summer entry of finished cattle with quality overall very good with plenty of well fleshed steers and heifers from the yard. Whilst the retailers are talking of difficulties at these prices there is no doubt that supply is a bigger factor and numbers nationally are tight. Competition for stock will hold prices at these levels.

Best cattle in excess of 220p with the real smart types pushing close to 250p per kg. Top price and highest heifer 249p kg £1466 for a Blonde cross from D W Ferguson Ltd whilst the steer honours went to a Limousin from R C & J L Pickering at 239p kg £1250. Quality runs of heifers this week came from D W Ferguson Ltd, A J Thompson & Sons and W S Furnival (Brookland) Ltd whose run made 233p, 231p, 230p, 229p and topped at £1400.

Other leaner steer prices were for a good run of Continental x British Friesian steers from A J Down with Limousin crosses to 221p kg £1473, British Blue crosses to 217p, £1351 and Hereford crosses to 197p, £1207. A handy weight Limousin cross from F Sole & Sons made £1460 (209p).

Native bred cattle continue to sell very well indeed with Aberdeen Angus cross steers (not Assured) from A & S Woodford making 215p kg £1317 and their heifers to 201p £1285. Sussex steers from K & P M Sinden & Sons sold to 214p, 212p and 207p £1164 from J D Richmond. Black and white steers from E T Ledger & Son were very well sold at 188p, 184p and 180p £1181.

A single OTM Charolais cross steer sold to £1288 (196p) from R C & J L Pickering.

Report on trade: Short numbers, a flying trade again and more wanted.

Nothing very fancy within the entry but all an outstanding trade with highlights including Simmental cross 170p £1000 P C Coleman; Hereford 169p, 158p £1255, £1236 M J Burton and 153p £1068 A B Jones & Ptnrs; Sussex 156p, 147p £1081 A B Jones & Ptnrs and 153p £831 Nightingale & Co; Charolais cross 143p £1090 A & S Woodford & Sons with Limousin cross138p £1002 A J Thompson & Sons.

A small show of dairy culls and all were very dear. British Friesians 146p, 145p, 141p, 140p, £1192, £1091, £1059, £1019 R & J Ledger and Holstein Friesian 147p, 136p, 135p, 134p, £1036 J W Boyd & Sons.

Keep feeding them! They are certainly wanted! Many thanks.

Auctioneer: Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

Report on trade: Only a small entry but a very strong enquiry driven by the super abundance of grass. Yearling Limousin cross heifers to £835 and steers to £775 from J J Butcher; strong Sussex cross steer 2 yrs. £1130 J D Richmond and British White cross steer £980 J D Richmond.

Strong trade continues for all store cattle. Enter now for forthcoming sales.

Report on trade: We were short of pigs this week, demand for the right butchers pigs is strong and culls and stores are selling well too. Remember we offer pigs every fortnight here in Ashford. We have more finished entered for the next sale already.

In the finished pig pens Brooker & Son took top honours with their best gilts making 150p per kg and £114 with long term producer N Dance’s heavy pigs making to 116p and £110p and light pigs from L R & Sons 108p and £62.

A large entry of cull pigs were penned and the best shape made 52p and heaviest 49p and £137. Boars made 40p and to £96.

Two pens of store pigs were offered and made £56 for good shaped finishers from L R & Sons and £14 for young feeders. Good early summer demand.

Next Tuesday 6^th July

Trailer for sale – after the sale of ewes – Ifor Williams P8G, single axle sheep trailer with 7 pin lights (No VAT)

Please note if you do not wash out at Ashford.

Drivers of vehicles leaving Ashford empty without cleansing and disinfecting MUST complete a declaration form obtainable from the Market Office.

You must then cleanse and disinfect as soon as possible and within 24 hours, or before using again for livestock. This is a LEGAL responsibility and are subject to checks by Local Authority Animal Health and Welfare Officers

Livestock for sale by private treaty – ex farm

For Sale – 8 Strong Welsh gilts, ready for a boar – East Kent. Contact Mark Cleverdon for details

For Sale – 3 Young South Devon bulls, ready for work – West Kent. Contact Mark Cleverdon for details

The Stockpot Café at Ashford Market

Although some of the Covid restrictions were relaxed from the 17th of May, we have decided to delay the full re-opening of the Stockpot until after the 20^th of July when we hope our full ‘normal’ sit-down service can resume.

This is because the new rules do not allow our style of counter-operation and we do not have the staff and systems in place to run a full service at tables including booking and remote payments amongst other things.

For the time being, we will continue with our takeaway service. We trust you will understand and appreciate your patience.

Local Agricultural Show and ploughing match dates and news

The Kent County Summer Fayre – Saturday 10^th and Sunday 11^th July – All show enquiries please ring 01622 630975 or visit www.kcas.org.uk

Saturday 4^th September – Moreton in Marsh Show, Gloucestershire. For all details go to www.moretonshow.co.uk

Weald of Kent Ploughing Match – Saturday 18^th September at Honey Farm, Munday Bois Road, Pluckley, Ashford, TN27 0SU (by kind permission of the Gwillim family). Full details available from Secretary Liz Copping 07872 501951or on www.wkpma.co.uk

East Kent Ploughing Match – Wednesday 29^th September at Upper Venson Farm, Eastry near Sandwich CT13 0JH (by kind permission of the Ledger family. Full details available from joint secretaries Sarah Ledger on 07802 974 838 or Lorna Astbury on 07538 547 010 or www.ekpma.co.uk

Forthcoming store and breeding sheep sales

Friday 30^th July

First sale of store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 13^th August

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 27^th August

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 3^rd September

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 10^th September

Store lambs and breeding sheep with a special show and sale of crossbred ewe lambs

Friday 17^th September

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Monday 20^th September

Catalogued ram sale and the annual show and sale of South East Texel Groups breeding females and rams at 3pm

Friday 24^th September

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 1^st October

Romney Day sale of ewe lambs, ewe tegs and breeding ewes together with Romney Sheep Breeders Society show and sale of pedigree rams

Friday 8^th October

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 15^th October

Store lambs and breeding sheep including catalogued ram sale

Friday 29^th October

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 12^th November

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 26^th November

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Friday 10^th December

Store lambs and breeding sheep

Sales generally commence at 11am unless advised otherwise