Weekly Sales News – 30th June 2020

Top price per kilo – 249p – C A Worley Farming Ltd; Top price per head – £116 – M B Farms

Report on trade: Another good entry of new season lambs on offer this week with over 2,500 penned. The entry did not the high percentage of top quality lambs of recent weeks but still many smart export grade in the entry from G H Dean & Co, C A Worley Farming Ltd, Mrs V Mc Donald, N A Balcomb & Son and many more. Overall averages were a bit back on last week but the trade has been quite volatile in the past 7 days. Our prices were generally on a par given the more varying quality penned this week.

Heavy butchers cutting lambs were best sold on the day with many of these making in excess of £100 with a super run from C & J Georgetti & Sons selling well with all making in excess of £100 for nearly 300 lambs to a top price of £105. The overall top was taken by M B Farms at £116 for some very smart Beltex cross lambs at 48kgs.

We had just a few hoggets on offer, not quite 100 penned, and meated sorts without erupted teeth sold from £70 to £80.

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: A bigger entry of ewes this week met a similar trade throughout. This is a bit stronger than we were seeing a month ago but the quality of ewes on offer is not fantastic with many leaner sorts coming forward following the recent dry spell here in the south east. Best ewes made from £90 upwards to £95 from R H Kingston. The trade for leaner grazing sorts improved on the week with good grazers making over £60 and the rest ranging from £45 to £65.

Top prices included Texels to £94 from E Stretton, Suffolk crosses to £82 from A J Down, crossbred to £74 from L Palmer & Sons and M J Stemp and Romneys to £81 from Langrish Farmers.

Report on trade: This was again a good competitive trade with the best smart handy weights making in excess of 205p per kg and heavier well fleshed sorts selling readily around 190p. A quality Limousin cross steer topped the market at £1145 (217p) from L Smith closely followed by Limousin cross heifers at £1059 (215p) from D W Ferguson Ltd and £1173 (205p) from A J Thompson & Sons.

Other top consignments of well fleshed cattle included a run of British Blue heifers from J Hooker making £1000 plus and up to £1182 (196p) and a run of continental  and Hereford x Friesian steers from A J Down with the former up to £1285 (191p) and £1242 (192p) and the latter well sold to £1242 (186p).

Report on trade: Trade remained very positive indeed for an indifferent entry of mostly dairy culls. There was very little flesh on offer but all grades met serious competition and looking forward more are wanted every week. Please reach deep into your herds!

Top returns included Limousin cross 146p £938 A J Bray; Sussex cross 129p 126p £897 £874 (Non FA) D Welsh and Aberdeen Angus cross 127p £954 Campbell Bros.

In the dairy line Holstein Friesian 138p 125p £1134 £945 Huddlestone Farms; 128p £963 J  W Boyd & Sons Ltd; 125p £878 Leggat Farming and 124p £982 M W Goddard.

Stock bulls included Limousin’s making 124p 120p 110p and £1307 £1216 £942 while overage steers included British Blues at 5 yrs + £1039 and a Holstein 130p £900.

Report on trade: Only finished pigs were penned this week, quality was generally good and with many local wholesalers and retail outlets looking for supply an improved trade resulted. At least 6 buyers wanted finished pigs and we have plenty of customers looking for weaners and feeders. The only cloud is over the cull trade where demand is still reported to be very slack.

C B Hope, S Scott & Son, Brooker & Son, C Higgins and D J Collins all sold good finished pigs up to 140p per kg and to £129.50 gross. The rest of the offering made 62p to 106p.

Next pig sales – Tuesdays 14^th and 28^th July at 9am with stores immediately following the finished and cull.

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 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.

Important – please remember the “Stop, unload and go” policy still applies to all our livestock sales – vendors and hauliers are not permitted in the penned area of the market. Social distancing is also extremely important – please remember “2 metres”

Hobbs Parker and Ashford Livestock Market

We are the South East’s principle livestock market selling over 255,000 head of cattle, sheep and pigs in 2019.

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

Please note if you don’t 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

Planning

As part of the critical food industry in these difficult days we want to plan and control our market operations as efficiently and safely as possible for the sake of us all – vendors, purchasers, hauliers and market staff.

Please advise us of your plans and numbers if you intend to sell stock.

Please liaise with and help your hauliers with early collections.

Please help market staff with fully completed entry forms – ear numbers listed in numeric order to speed up processing. With big loads please split heifers and steers on entry forms.

Thank you and take care

Help and support from The Farming Community Network

Farming Community Network (FCN) volunteers regularly attend local livestock markets and whilst we cannot be present at sales currently, our helpline is still open from 7am to 11pm every day, staffed by people who understand farming.

FCN is a charity and voluntary organisation that helps farmers to stay resilient. We provide practical and pastoral support to those experiencing difficulties in England and Wales.

During these challenging times we are encouraging everyone to think about their own physical and mental health and that of their families and staff.

We can help with contingency planning against the backdrop of the Corona virus outbreak and our FarmWell website (www.farmwell.org.uk) offers a wealth of free information about managing change and maintaining personal wellbeing.

The FCN helpline can be reached on 03000 111 999 or via email at help@fcn.org.uk. Confidentiality is assured.

Hairdressers reopens

Sharon and her team here in the market will be open again on Tuesday 7^th July.