Weekly Sales News – 3rd November 2020

Top price per head – £116 – P Gorringe: Top price per kilo – 247p – P Gorringe

Report on trade: A very small entry of lambs on offer this week again as numbers just keep dwindling nationally too. A super trade was seen by those who did make the effort to draw some this week with the averages up 20p plus on the week.

Best meated heavy weights all made well over £100 and up to £116 from P Gorringe who also topped the prices per kilo at 247p – we think he almost smiled at one point. The panic buying in supermarkets has begun to lift the trade but who knows what the next month will hold instore for us all.

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: About 500 odd ewes penned this week but with the impeding lockdown period, the wholesale demand has lifted considerably this week which has brought the price up by maybe £5. Best meated sorts selling from £80-100 and with leaner ewes often approaching the £70 mark.

Report on trade: There is no shortage of demand for beef. Slaughter levels always increase in this November period as processors get meat packed and prepared for Christmas but with a lock-down also thrown into the equation and home dining returning to so many households prospects look good. Quality is a factor, particularly for the Christmas demand, and good fleshing essential for the hanging period and to meet demand of the butchers and individual retailers who finding more support from consumers.

This week we saw another good entry and quality overall was good. A very strong feeding trade underpins anything that might go forward over a month or two and wholesalers are out in force for all stock fit and ready.

Smart lightweight Limousin steers topped from R J Husk selling 246p per kg, 240p, 228p, 224p (2) whilst gross returns from W Alexander (Shoreham) topped at £1440. £1403 and £1311, 229p, 222p, 219p. Gallagher Farms sold Limousin steers to 223p £1359 (Non-FA) and their Aberdeen Angus to 198p (2) £1388. A J Thompson & Sons Limousin 218p 216p £1203. Limousin x Friesian steers made 213p 204p 203p £1243 £1190 £1179 £1165, British Blue cross steers 200p (2) £1155, Hereford x Friesian steers 199p 196p 190p £1185 £1122 £1104 all from A J Down with Sussex 190p £995 J Hooker & Son.

Top heifer spot went to G Bates Ltd with Limousin 234p 230p 229p 228p 225p £1266 £1213 with top gross to D W Ferguson Ltd with Blondes to £1345 225p. A J Thompson & Sons sold Limousin crosses to 228p 224p (2) £1252, W Alexander (Shoreham) 229p £1165 and 228p £1276 R F & E A Simmons; Limousin x Friesians 206p £1130 A J Down.

Native breed crosses were well supported with heifers well sold including Hereford cross from S Marsh 200p 199p 198p and 197p £1057 D T Marden with Aberdeen Angus x Friesian 180p £1030 (Non-FA) V & C Smith.

Some nice bulls from D W Ferguson Ltd sold to 206p £1007 and Longhorns to 188p.

Report on trade: A terrific show of cows again at Ashford and the vast majority beef cows with just 9 dairy forward and 9 minority breeds such as Dexters and Belted Galloways! We had another tremendous trade with the feeding market driving the trade with, no doubt, concerns that processing beef (a staple product in lock-down) is going to be in short supply after Christmas and during the second part of the winter.

In fact, slaughter rates have just eased in recent days in part to Covid-19 issues in some processing plants but more down to the fact that Christmas boning of prime beef is fully under way and cow beef will not return to the fore until December.

No issues in the feeding market with an outstanding trade helped by several good runs of younger empty cows now that many herds are weaning and scanning. Best beef feeders 140p to 180p per kg; good meat 120p to 140p and helped by farm assurance and only the oldest and plainest below 100p.

Just a few dairy culls and there is a little more pressure on their price for a week or three! Fair meat made 100p to 110p but no real heavyweight best cows forward.

Highlights included Aberdeen Angus cross 184p 178p 172p £967 £935 £872 Burden Bros; Charolais 166p 152p 147p 146p 145p £956 £945 £926 R V A Stannard; Limousin cross 159p 152p 148p 147p 146p 144p (3) 143p £1061 £1053 £997 Burden Bros, 149p 145p A Boyd & Co (non FA) and 149p £891 W G Vant & Sons; Hereford cross 155p Burden Bros; Simmental cross 150p Burden Bros, 130p £1017 W G Vant & Sons, £1097 G Bates Ltd and 135p £990 M & M L Goodwin (Non FA); South Devon cross 137p 128p £1092 Burden Bros; British Blue cross 135p £956 Burden Bros; Sussex 130p 125p £866 (Non FA) City of London 130p 122p 121p £807 (Non FA) I Strang and 127p £917 D T Marden; Lincoln Red cross 120p (2) £786 A W Vincent withj Belted Galloway 106p £512 (Non FA) G McKie.

In the dairy section Holstein Friesian 109p 108p 102p £848 £842 Leggat Farming Ltd; Ayrshire 104p £615 (Non-FA) V & C Smith and Jersey 78p £389 Hickson Bros.

Report on trade: Another outstanding day in the store section with close to 600 cattle sold at this beginning of November sale. A very different complexion to this week’s sale, compared to recent Tuesdays, with a high proportion of the stock offered being this year’s beef calves at 6 to 9mths and just weaned off their dams. This larger offering undoubtedly brought about by the circumstances in the South East that has resulted in such a shortage of straw and fodder for this winter. Fortunately, the rest of the country has not suffered a problem with food supplies and with the beef trade flying high producers looking at returns well ahead of 2019.

A good cross section of buyers from the north of England and down through the eastern side of the country mixed well with our regular midland and south east support to produce an excellent trade for all grades. Many good runs from quality producers but special mention to Burden Bros showing 175 Limousin, Aberdeen Angus and Beef Shorthorn calves, all March to May born and of consistent and high quality right through. Stronger cattle remain a very positive trade with the forward condition stock driven forward by current beef prices.

Highlights included, in the bulls, smart Limousin cross 6-8mths £695 Burden Bros. This is the time to check your calves at weaning and to get young store bulls into the right hands.

Suckled calves included G Hosmer & Son Aberdeen Angus steers 6-8mths £705 £630 and heifers £565; Rhino Plant Charolais cross steers 8mths £720 and Aberdeen Angus cross steers 8-10mths £740 £685 with heifers £625 £550; Gardners Limousin cross steers 7-8mths £765 £690 £680 £615 and heifers £675 £645 with an outstanding show calf at £930; Burden Bros Limousin cross steers 6-8mths £755 £740 £735 £700 (2) £670 (2) £660 and heifers £720 £640 £630 (2) £600 with Aberdeen Angus cross steers £730 (2) £720 £680 £660 £655 £630; Goodwin Bros Blonde cross steers 7-9mths £760 (2) £700 £645 and heifers £700 £675 £550; A Wicken Limousin cross steers 7-8mths £715 £705; G J Ostridge Charolais cross steers 8-10mths £670 £585 and heifers £570 £505; L Palmer & Sons Limousin cross steers 10mths £785 and heifers £740 with M J Ashworth 8-9mths Limousin cross steers £780 £680 and heifers £770 £760 £715.

Older cattle included New House Farm (Twineham) Simmental cross steers 15mths £1100 £910 and heifers £940; J Tassell Blonde cross steers 28mths £985; J Cowlishaw British Blue cross heifers 24mths £905 £795; John Pile Farms British Blue cross heifer 26mths £1095; V & C Smith Aberdeen Angus cross steers 12-15mths £825 £790; City of London Sussex cross steers 22mths £850 and 9mths £640 with heifers 22mths £750; W T Kemp Sussex heifers 18mths £830; J Doorey Sussex steers 18mths £870 £750; B C Ginger Hereford heifers 18mths £825 £790 and £690; D T Marden Hereford steers 16-17mths £900 and heifers £825; P R Lanham British Blue x Friesian steers 18-20mths £875 £815; B J Goodsell & Son Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers 18mths £780; K P Vincent Aberdeen Angus cross heifers 18mths £1065; A L Betts Ltd Beef Shorthorn x Friesian steers 18mths £900 and heifers £735, British Blue x Friesian steers £795 £725 and heifers £740 £735 and also A Martin Hereford cross steers 28mths £895.

A good day and a very busy day and many thanks to all involved.

Report on trade: A smaller entry of breeding cattle this week made up of in calf cows from two vendors. W T Kemp sold a smart pedigree Sussex cow which was 4mths in calf for £810 while B Townsend sold the balance of his herd of mainly Limousin cross cows due to calve December and January to a high of £1,040 averaging over £1,000.

Report on trade: Pigs have been less money generally for the last couple of weeks and Ashford this week was no different after a recent run of good prices for a couple of months. Culls were thin on the ground and well-bred stores found buyers keen to secure them.

The best finished were 100p to 120p per kg, grossing to £110 for heavy pigs (98kg). T Russell and S Scott & Son were the 2 producers with these better bred and finished pigs. 70p to 100p covered the rest of the pigs on offer bar the very heavy sorts.

One cull boar made 15p and £48 – this trade is still not in a very good place.

A pen of 12-week-old Pietrain cross stores from Ms M Godden made £42 and younger coloured stores £11.

Next pig sales – 17^th November and 1^st December with stores being sold immediately following the finished and cull at 9am.

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The November edition of this popular regional farming magazine is now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker is a regular contributor to the editorial content.

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

Notices – James (Jim) Drew – Deal

It is with great sadness that the family of James Drew would like to inform Ashford Market friends of his passing.

As somebody kindly said, ‘If there was an East Kent flagpole for farmers it would be flying at half-mast’

Bovine TB Test Dates

It is very important that the date (first part of test) is recorded on cattle entry forms for all cattle sold from TB1holdings. Any recent whole herd test dates from TB4 holdings must also be recorded. This information is critical to purchasers who may be required to test animals again and who will wish to avoid the risk of a false positive by testing again within the 60-day period.

Please advise of test dates when making cattle entries for cataloguing from TB! Holdings.

Covid-19 Protocol at Ashford Market – updated November 2020

• customers wear a face covering whilst at market.
• social distancing, high standards of hygiene and responsible behaviour to others should be maintained.
• strict control of the numbers attending market is asked for and both buyers and sellers should not bring additional people with them to market.

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

Wanted – a farmworker on a local beef, sheep and arable farm. Ring 07774408059 for details

Wanted – Experienced stock person required. Supervising & training residents at HMP East Sutton Park. Full Job specification and application on Ministry of Justice jobs website.

Call Chris for more info 07968908641

For Sale – 36 British Blue x Friesian heifers, 24mths which are scanned in calf to Limousin bull – North Kent. Ring Simon on 07885 968077

For Sale – Pedigree Aberdeen Angus (Red) bull bn 2016 – Essex. Ring Mark on 07741 845230

For Sale – 9 Holstein x Friesian heifers, 24mths and in calf to an Aberdeen Angus bull – East Kent. Ring Peter Kingwill on 07795 200357

For Sale – ready for work Limousin bull. East Sussex. Ring Mark Cleverdon for details 07741 845230

Covid-19 Protocol at Ashford Market – updated November 2020

• we will be once again implementing a “Drop and go Policy” and no vendors will be permitted to attend the market other than to deliver stock.

Only registered buyers must enter either the penning areas or sales ring.