Weekly Sales News – 5th November 2019

Top price per head – £100 – Link Bros: Top price per kilo – 198p – Langrish Farmers

Report on trade: Just a few more penned this week with better quality on offer which helped to boost prices upwards once again. Demand has increased recently as numbers are continuing to be tight and following the movement of the Brexit deadline, export customers are more confident once again.

Same story again with the biggest and best finished lambs selling to the best prices. Several lambs made above £85 this week to a top price of £100 for a very heavy lamb from Link Bros with Langrish Farmers taking top price per kilo at 198p for some very smart export grade lambs.

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.

Report on trade: Another good entry of ewes but once again quality was mixed and following the recent inclement weather conditions, we saw a drop in demand from the grazing men and leaner ewes were not as strong a trade as we have seen them. Meated sorts were selling on a stand on trade and rams were well sold with a few last minute purchasers looking for rams for breeding.

Top prices include rams sold to £97 from Maytum Wharf Farm, best meated ewes to £74 from T Kirk, continentals to £72 from S T Phillips and Romneys to £63 from Langrish Farmers.

Report on trade: Another good trade with 9 individual buyers ensuring competitive returns throughout. The best beef bred cattle sold readily up to 200p per kg and dairy bred sorts were selling between 165p to 180p. A quality run of steers from R G Wood sold well with Parthenaise crosses up to £1260 (199p) and £1177 (200p) while other top prices included Limousin cross steers at £1264 (200p) and Limousin cross heifers at £1070 (197p) from W Alexander (Shoreham).

The best of the dairy bred cattle included a British Blue cross steer at £1112 (173p) and Limousin cross steer at £1084 (180p) from regular vendor A J Down.

A small percentage of native bred cattle were on offer and well received with Sussex heifer at £965 (181p) from J C & C Lewis and a Hereford x Friesian steer well sold at £1055 (181p) again from A J Down.

Report on trade: Numbers are beginning to tighten across the country as the incessant rains of the last 6 weeks have driven most stock to be housed by now. Quality certainly more variable than last week but the trade very similar with flesh a good price throughout whilst the plainest and the oldest remain difficult. Fewer dairy culls were forward this week but again some decent younger feeding types were amongst the entry.

Top calls included Charolais 137p per kg and 130p grossing £874 Vexour Pedigree Cattle; Sussex 123p £802 J G & D G White and 110p J C & C Lewis; Hereford 117p(2) £1049 again from Vexour Pedigree Cattle; British Blue cross (Non FA) 114p F Harber; Blonde cross 113p £838 J Prior & Son and Simmental cross 106p, 102p(2) L Palmer & Son.

Best of the dairy made just ahead of 100p but fewer on offer this week including British Friesian 110p, 107p £788 B J Goodsell & Son and Holstein Friesian 101p £833 J W Boyd & Sons.

Report on trade: Another decent entry of store cattle and plenty of potential customers in attendance with 16 successful buyers ensuring competitive returns throughout. As per recent weeks the well-bred store cattle took the pick of the trade notably yearling Limousin cross steers and heifers at £840 and £800 from R A Wade and 16-17 mths Charolais cross steers topping the market at £990 from E W & R E Hanks. Native bred 18 mths Aberdeen Angus cross steers sold well at £890 from Burden Bros.

A run of 14-15 mths purebred Sussex steers attracted keen bidding and made from £720 up to £845 from J C & C Lewis.

Again plainer sorts and out of spec cattle sold at discounted prices reflecting returns in the finished market while the best of the younger cattle attracted a little more interest than recent weeks.

RABI, Young Farmers Clubs, 91 Club, Kent Herdsmans Club and FCN news

RABI – copies of a summer newsletter are available here in the market.

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 11th November at 7.30pm – Julue Zlujehyrst will be talking about her trip to South Africa, showing lots of photos, at the Conningbrook Hotel, Canterbury Road, Ashford TN24 9QR

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

Ashford Young Farmers – copies of their August / September newsletter are available here in the market.

For all details on Ashford Young Farmers please contact Amy Langdon at amy.langdon1234@hotmail.co.uk

Tonbridge Young Farmers – Debbie Broad and friends in the area have reopened this club.

For all details of plans for the future please contact the Broads through Debbie’s Facebook page or email tonbridgeyfc19@gmail.com

Vehicle Parking on busy market days – Congestion in the bottom / livestock parking area

Please help us to help you. The upper car park on the top side of the market buildings is available for all cars and Land Rovers with trailers.

Disabled bays – please would market users please respectfully only use these bays if displaying the recognized blue badge

Please remember it is essential we have an early indication from all sellers of stock numbers you wish to sell week by week – we phone and send text messages to buyers and agents every Monday evening and an accurate indication of numbers coming forward is essential with many buyers travelling substantial distances to attend.

Events / Meetings in the area of interest to farmers

National Sheep Association South East Conference Sheep health, wealth and production on the 20th November at Surrey Veterinary School. 12.30 -7 pm. There is a comprehensive list of guest speakers, all with a view to helping to improve your knowledge and business. Cost is £18 plus vat.

If anyone is interested in a car pool arrangement, email Ian Lockwood on hello@duckpitvalley.co.uk

Events / Meetings in the area of interest to farmers

The South of England Agricultural Society’s 2019’s Farming Conference “From uncertainty to opportunity” is on Wednesday 13^th November at the South of England Showground in Ardingly, West Sussex.

Chaired by BBC presenter Charlotte Smith, this year’s conference will consider in a post-Brexit world whether the industry has a positive future. “Whether you voted to leave the EU or to remain, one thing we can all probably agree on is that the last three years has created a great deal of uncertainty, and whatever happens on the 31st October, this uncertainty is likely to remain for a significant period of time,” explains Duncan Rawson, a Nuffield Scholar sponsored by the Society and organiser of this year’s Farming Conference. Rawson added: “No industry feels this uncertainty more than agriculture and food.  So entwined is our industry with European and global markets that any disruption is likely to cause problems. However, as the old cliché goes, with uncertainty comes opportunity. Once we are through the maelstrom of the immediate future, the question is: does the industry have a positive future? Coming less than two weeks after we were due to leave the EU, this year’s conference couldn’t be any more timely to discuss this, and to help us we have a great line up of speakers who between them will present views from across the food supply chain.”

This year guest speakers at the conference will include Jane King, CEO of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board;  Richard Anscombe, CEO of Fram Farmers;  Julian Marks, MD of Barfoots of Botley and Kent farmer Owen Piper of M.A. Piper & Son Farms who has recently introduced vineyards to further diversify and ‘future proof’ his family farm business. All speakers will deliver a short presentation setting out their thoughts as to the future, leaving plenty of time for debate and questions.

The popular Technical Forum will also take place before the main Conference. Now in its fourth year, the forum invites active and progressive farmers and students to come and learn about specific subjects.

Chaired by Doug Jackson of NFU Mutual, and Vice-President of Sussex YFC, the Technical Forum brings together a number of experienced speakers and this year’s title is ‘Harnessing the best of technology to drive productivity’. Speakers for the forum include Duncan Forbes, Dairy Research Director of Kingshay dairy consultants and Head of Dairy at the Agri – EPI Centre; Stuart Hill, who is Head of Technology & Innovation for Hutchinsons crop production specialists and A N other

Rawson concluded: “Looking ahead it is quite clear that farmers will receive less support than they have previously. There is also a stark message from last year’s conference, that the UK farmer is lagging behind other countries in Europe and further afield in terms of our productivity. Without doubt, in a post-Brexit world the industry needs to up its game and technology will have a key role to play. The aim of this forum is to consider how technology and different farming practices can improve production efficiencies.”

The Technical Forum, which has been allocated Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points this year, starts at 3.30pm and refreshments will be available from 6pm ahead of the main conference which runs from 7pm – 10pm.

Both the Farming Conference and Technical Forum are FREE to attend, but visitors must register for BOTH – ring the showground

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 are regular contributors to the editorial content.

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers livestock sales catalogues are always available online on the auctioneers pages of our website www.hobbsparker.co.uk All entries are listed on these regularly updated pages

Ashford Livestock Market has its own Facebook page where news and reports are now being posted on a regular basis www.facebook.com/AshfordLivestockMarket/

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers email a livestock market short report on the afternoon of every livestock sale day. To receive this email report you need to log on to the auctioneers pages of our website www.hobbsparker.co.uk and click the link to email alerts.

To ensure you continue to receive the email it should be opened on a regular basis.

Livestock for sale by private treaty – ex farm

For Sale – 2 pedigree polled Hereford bulls, 17 mths on a West Kent farm.

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

For Sale – Collie puppies from working parents, ready mid-November – phone 01797 230394, 07703 743567 or 07761 732664.

Ashford Cattle Show – It is Christmas Show time!!!

Monday and Tuesday 25th and 26th November

Annual show of livestock, crops, carcases and much much more. All details from Julie Coney 07887 643002 or email ashfordcattleshow@gmail.co.uk

A full show catalogue will be available soon

Show dinner – don’t miss this traditional pre Christmas event

Hosted by President George Horne this traditional Rib of Beef dinner at the Ashford International Hotel on the Tuesday evening is not to be missed. Tickets £34.50

Full booking details are available from the NFU Tenterden 01580 766174 or dinner steward George Ashby.

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions

run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales are ……

Collective Machinery & Equipment sale

Friday 8^th November at 9.30am

Catalogues are now available.

Lots will include new & nearly new mowers & garden machinery. New tools, farm & agricultural equipment, timber plus large selection of miscellaneous items.

Special Sports and High Performance Vehicle sale

Wednesday 27^th November at 5pm

This auction of cars will include a special sale sports and high performance cars with the normal car auction to follow

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

Martin Crowhurst (Cattle & Sheep) 07710 803903 or 01797 343936

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

Mark Cleverdon (Rams, Breeding Cattle and Pigs) 07741 845230

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

Tom Hamplett (Rams, Calves & Weanlings) 07966 104532