Weekly Sales News – 30th November 2021

Top price per kilo, top price per head & champion pen of lambs

£210- £457p– Miss Amy Hedges

Report on trade: Ashford Christmas Show day this week, in a reduced form to what we have been used to in the past but still some superb quality sheep presented by local schools, young farmers clubs and our regular producers. Champion pen on the day was shown by Miss Amy Hedges, selling to the Judge, Andrew Head at £210. Reserve champion was shown by The High Weald Academy Young Farmers Club and sold to Alex Lennox at £170.

In the commercial lamb department this week we saw an increased entry and what a trade! Regardless of the show lambs in the mix, which was only 48 of the total 1,351 on sale, the SQQ average was still returned at 292p per kg, which without doubt is the highest we have ever seen at this time of year (possibly the highest ever). Every type of lamb on offer sold to a tremendous trade, with heavy lambs selling to £166 from A Town, and several over £150 from P Bates, P N & C Burden and L Stevens & Sons.

Continental lambs at export weights sold to a fantastic demand with these regularly over 300p with the top 33 prices in the rankings over this figure and the top price of 354p from C A Worley Farming Ltd.

Finished lamb numbers are coming under increasing pressure recently and this is the sole driver of the trade. With Christmas coming, and wholesale order books filling, the processors are securing stock that they fear may not be available nearer the time. We hope this trade will be maintained throughout the period, but it is very important that you let us know what you intend to send to market so we can keep our buyers informed.

Auctioneer: James Cook O’Connell

Top price ewe £156 – Diana Lindon Top price ram – £172 – Diana Lindon

Report on trade: A flying trade today with some fantastic ewes on offer from a good number of vendors. For this reason we saw the average increase by £12.50 per head on the previous week with grazing ewes ranging from £50-£75 with only the very lean few being seen below these figures. Wholesale demand is at a very buoyant level and supply nationally is not quite able to meet these requirements, pushing prices upwards.

Top prices included-

Crossbred to £156 from Diana Lindon

Suffolk cross to £133 from C & J Georgetti and Sons

Mules to £108 from E Morris & Son

Romneys to £107 from Link Bros

See Store and Breeding report for full details

Report on trade: Despite a limited show the day was well supported by Young Farmers Clubs and regular consignors of finished cattle at Ashford Market and many top-quality cattle were on offer. The best of the show cattle attracted prices in excess of 260p with a superb Limousin cross heifer taking the top prize in the open class and overall champion and sold for £2,272 (410p) from S Marsh while the reserve champion and 1^st Young Farmers Club class sold well at £1,867 (290p) from The High Weald Academy YFC, both lots purchased by the judge G Watson, Norfolk.

Other prize winners included: –

Best steer Young Farmers Club Aberdeen Angus cross £1,444 (254p) Tonbridge YFC

Best continental cross steer Limousin cross £1,453 (260p) W Alexander (Shoreham)

Best native bred steer Aberdeen Angus cross £1,409 (255p) W Alexander (Shoreham)

Best native bred heifer Aberdeen Angus cross £1,1326 (260p) W Alexander (Shoreham)

Other top prices in the show included a Parthenais cross heifer at £1,749 (292p) from S Marsh; purebred Sussex steers £1,513 (223p) from Sussex Herd Company Ltd and £1,503 (245p) from Chandler & Dunn Ltd.

Many thanks to our judge for the day G Watson who supported the show well with the purchase of many of the prize winners.

A small selection of cattle in the commercial section sold at similar levels to recent weeks with the pick of the trade including Limousin x Friesian steer £1,434 (236p), Limousin x Friesian heifer £1,423 (246p) and Hereford x Friesian steer £1,382 (220p) from A J Down; purebred Sussex steer £1,513 (223p) from Sussex Herd Company Ltd; Aberdeen Angus cross steer £1,302 (233p) from Gallagher Farms and British Blue cross steer £1,382 (210p) from J D Frost.

Report on trade: As is so often on a “Show Day” we were very short of stock which is a real shame as demand remains so strong and prices very firm. All grades, meat and feeders, just as dear as ever. As prime Christmas work, certainly for the major wholesalers and supermarkets, comes to an end more of the meat industry will be directed towards the New Year processed meat trade.

Just the one best beef beast forward today selling at 188p kg, £1,331 from Gallagher Farms with other strong meat cows 130-140p.

Limousin 188p, £1,331 Gallagher Farms (Non-FA); Simmental cross 140p, 132p, £1,137 J D Frost (Non-FA); Charolais cross 138p, £1,086 J D Frost (Non-FA).

Demand for fleshed Black & Whites very strong indeed and trade for leaner cows also strengthening.

British Friesian 133p, 126p, £1,128 R & J Ledger; Holstein Friesian 132p, 130p, 129p, 128p, £1,128, £1,122, £1,108, £1,034 Appleton Farms; Jersey 70p, 66p, £318 S E Lane & Partners.

A few older Highland steers (4 years +) well sold to 139p, £786.

Lean Simmental stock bull well sold at 115p, £1,175.

Report on trade: Recent television and general press coverage tells only too well the problems which currently beset the pig sector. Here in Ashford, we are not able to avoid this doom and gloom but for our show week buyers responded well and trade for the young, finished pigs was as good as could have been expected.

As always, thank you to those who supported the show pens – exhibitors, judge Andrew Laver and buyers. 1^st Prize and championship went to David Finch, Benfleet, Essex with 3 Welsh gilts: 2^nd and reserve championship to The North School with 3 heavy gilts.

Trade in the pens for finished pigs saw the best make 140p per kg for the champions purchased by Simon Husk, Dover; reserve champions 125p to Lewis Martin, Canterbury, and the rest of the good pigs 90p plus from S Scott & Son, Ms M Godden, P & R Marshall, Brooker & Son, T Beesley and R Maplesden.

The cull trade continues to be very difficult with a few offered but none sold.

Store pigs saw a pen of white Pietrain crosses from Ms M Godden make £26

Cattle Producers, Please Note

Producers from all counties are reminded that if a beast is at any time in its life identified as an Inconclusive Reactor then they are unable to move it off their holding to any other place other than a place of slaughter, irrespective of any subsequent test that may turn out negative. They are not allowed to come to Ashford Cattle Market for onward movement to slaughter.

Hay and Straw register

For Sale – Conventional baled and 4 string big bales meadow hay on a farm in the Ashford area. Can be delivered. Ring Michael on 07715651766 or 01233 820261

For Sale – large quantities of hay, hayledge and straw in the Ashford area. Ring 07707 879642

For Sale – large quantities of top-notch feed and bedding – Round bale naked hay, Round bale wrapped haylage, Mini Hesston bales naked hay, Half Mini Hesston bales wrapped haylage, Round bale wrapped silage, Round bale naked wheat straw, Round bale naked barley straw, Round bale naked oat straw, Whole Oats in 1 tonne weighed bags, Whole Wheat in crane bags, Logs of all varieties, shapes, sizes and prices.

All from our own Red Tractor certified farms (with full field traceability) and keenly priced ex farm or delivered locally or nationwide. Richard Barnes (Farms) Ltd, Etchingham, TN19 7AZ.

01580 819000, 07768 771933

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

For Sale privately – 10 Holstein Friesian in calf heifers, due January. 2 ½ yrs. old, fully vaccinated, TB4. Contact Peter Kingwill 07795 200357

For up-to-date information on all livestock sales please contact

Elwyn Davies (Cattle & sheep) 07710 803901 or 01233 861263

Peter Kingwill (Cattle & sheep) 07795 200357

John Rossiter (Sheep, machinery plus commercial vehicles) 07557 392903

Simon Husk (Cattle & sheep) 07885 968077 or 01304 842393

Tom Hamplett (Calves, weanlings, breeding cattle & rams) 07966 104532

Mark Cleverdon (Pigs) 07741 845230