Weekly Sales News – 7th April 2020

Top price per kilo – 241p – S J Reeve and Son; Top price per head – £112 – Miss H Dent.

Report on trade: Another similar sized entry of hoggets this week but not quite the same level of quality on offer as we saw last week. Despite this, trade remained pretty much the same. Easter demand certainly helped the a little with the handy weight types selling best of all but the 50kg plus hoggets were certainly harder to sell, reflecting the lack of demand from the catering outlets across the country who would generally handle the majority of these heavier carcasses. The best of these heavies traded in around the 200p per kg mark and up to £100 to £105 but the handier weight brackets were regularly well in excess of 200p and up to 241p from S J Reeve & Son for some 39kg Charollais cross hoggets. Overall SQQ average was 205p which was at a similar level to recent weeks.

The Hobbs Parker team would like to express our gratitude to our staff, vendors and buyers for bearing with us and their patience in dealing with the tricky circumstances we find ourselves in. Lets all try to continue on as we are, to see this out and get back to normal as soon as possible.

About 60 new season lambs were forward this week but again not as good a quality as we have seen in recent weeks being predominantly native bred with little or no continentals on offer. The best sold to 269p from J Farrant with an overall average of 252p.

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: Still not large numbers on offer and the trade was very similar to recent weeks with the best ewes up to £100 from J Saunders & Son and G P King. A very mixed entry with several lambing chuck outs and leaner sorts on offer. Trade for the ewe meat has begun to recover slightly and we should begin to see this lift in coming weeks. The Muslim fasting period on Ramadan does commence shortly which will certainly have an impact on trade as well.

Top prices included Suffolk cross to £91 from Stuart Agnew Trading, Charollais cross to £100 from G P King, Texel cross to £100 from J Saunders & Son and £85 from Chichester College with Romneys to £76 and other crossbred to £80 from Stuart Agnew Trading.

Report on trade: A few more of these were penned this week and a bit better quality also but predominantly end of run offerings and longer term sorts, as it is very late on in the season for stores now. Best sold to £69 and an overall average of £59.50.

Report on trade: Trade here was very much on a par with recent weeks with the best making around 200p per kg and topping at £1165 (205p) for a Limousin cross heifer from W Alexander (Shoreham) and Blonde cross heifers to £1014 (195p) from G L Boulden & Sons. Heavier cattle made 170p to 180p notably a Limousin cross steer £1132 (182p) from R F & E A Simmons and British Blue cross heifer to £1125 (171p) from K & P M Sinden & Sons.

A few native bred cattle were on offer with a well fleshed Hereford cross heifer grossing well at £1043 (177p) from E & J H Maylam and Aberdeen Angus cross steer £900 (175p) from R J & C M Greengrow.

Report on trade: Another excellent entry for the time of year. Despite all the current concerns that are kicking back dangerously on the dairy sector, in particularly, but also on the beef sector as a whole we had a strong number of buyers around the ring and enjoyed a decent trade. Beef cows, meat and grazers, are holding their value but dairy culls eased a little. Best shaped beef cows made 140p to 150p per kg and over £1000 whilst plenty, assured or not, still 100p to 120p.

Only a few dairy culls were forward and despite good competition a struggle to get to 100p though the 80p to 90p cows look well sold.

Top calls included Limousin cross 154p 125p £1159 Gardners; Simmental 141p 120p £1017 R Coleman & Sons; Hereford cross 129p 124p £636 (Non FA) G A Ostridge; South Devon 121p 116p 110p £877 £865 £830 Gardners; Lincoln Red 118p £692 (Non FA) N Morgan; Beef Shorthorn 115p (Non FA) Mrs H Harmer; British Blue cross 114p £698 (Non FA) J Saunders; British White cross 112p 105p 103p £747 (Non FA) M Fletcher; Aberdeen Angus cross 111p 109p 102p £663 (Non FA) G Amos and Red Poll 108p £629 (Non FA) New Barn Farm.

In the dairy lines Holstein Friesian 95p 93p (2) 90p 89p £851 P J Forknall and 92p £751 Mrs M S Clifford-Baynes

Report on trade: Another successful sale with a good entry of cattle comprising a big percentage of single suckled beef bred yearlings. By operating a strict drop and go service to hauliers and vendors the usual market atmosphere was missing but with feeding men at ringside keen for cattle the general trade was brisk throughout.

Best continental cross yearling steers sold in excess of £850 and topped at £1035 for Limousin cross steers from a top quality run consigned by L E Humphreys & Sons while heifers topped at £890 for Blonde crosses from R D E Spencer. A small selection of stronger cattle were on offer with Blonde crosses taking the pick of the trade with steers at £1175 and heifers £1055 from N C & C G Hedges and strong Charolais cross steers to £1120 from J E Berryman.

A smaller selection of native bred cattle saw the Aberdeen Angus crosses keenly sought after with yearling steers to £890 from J Prior & Son and stronger Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers and heifers looking well sold up to £1075 and £895 respectively from E J Gribble (TB Edge).

Please keep cattle coming, we have the buyers keen to buy and hauliers and staff keen to support.

A big thanks to all for your help and support during difficult times.

Report on trade: Not the fiery trade we saw a fortnight ago but still respectable for a varying quality entry of finished pigs. Cull pigs continue trading at good prices and nice young stores sold well.

The best finished pigs were a very fair price selling to 132p per kg and £167 for a single heavy gilt from Chris Higgins with pigs from HMP East Sutton 130p, Miss J Judge128p S Scott & Son 120p. Rare breed and second quality made 70p to 102p.

Cull pigs this week made to 70p for the 2 heaviest models with feeders 32p to 40p

Nice well-bred stores from R M Vidler made £34.

Next pig sales – Tuesdays 21^st April and then 5^th and 19^th May at 9am with stores immediately following the finished and cull.

Already entered for sale on the 21^st April are 33 Gloucester Old Spot, Saddle3back and Tamworth pigs from The Canterbury Oast Trust.

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.

Message from Peter Barker of Barkers Animal Health

Barkers Animal Health retail store here in the market is open for collections on a Tuesday. Please pre order so goods are ready for you – 07880 946983  

Hay, Straw, Fodder and Forage Crop for sale and / wanted

For Sale – Top notch barn stored round and mini-hesston bales 2019 hay. Bulk whole oats in half tonne bags also available. Delivery arranged. East Sussex. 07768 771933.

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

For Sale – Border Collie puppies – 4 dogs and 2 bitches – in the Ashford area. Ring Tom on 07707 879642

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 – Colin Curd

Family and friends have asked us to advise that Colin sadly passed away recently. Colin would have started work in Ashford market in the very late fifties. From this work and contacts made he developed a career as a buyer respected for his judgement and fairness in both the slaughter industry and the with the many livestock famers throughout the country he would have worked with. Colin will be greatly missed by family and friends – for all his life he remained an “Ashford” boy!

A private funeral will be held in due course and the family promise a “get together” when things “return to normal”

Notices – Fred Beer, East Kent

Family and friends have asked us to announce that Fred passed away recently. For many years Fred ran a haulage business (principally livestock) from Sandwich as A F Beer and was a regular face in the old Ashford Market.

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

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 (Calves, Weanlings & Rams) 07966 104532

Local Agricultural Show and ploughing match dates and news

Agricultural shows in the region which are now cancelled include Royal Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey County, Kent County and Essex Young Farmers, South of England and Heathfield (see press release below).

Heathfield Show Press Release

The Heathfield & District Agricultural Show Society Council is sad to announce that the 2020 Heathfield Show has been cancelled.

The Show Council has taken into consideration all the Government instructions relating to the virus and has come to the conclusion that there is no option other than to cancel.

The Show Secretary, Nicola Magill commented, “Everybody realises what a big decision this is, and it hasn’t been taken lightly.

“All the Government guidelines have been examined and the Show Council are in agreement that the responsibility for the health of all our visitors, exhibitors, guests, trade stand holders, volunteers, stewards and committee members has to be the main priority.  Combining this with the financial health of the Society is also important.  Unrecoverable expenses have already been incurred but the closer to Show day the more this figure will escalate.”

“Taking both these factors into consideration, with the necessity of preserving the Society assets for future Shows, it seems sensible to decide to cancel sooner, rather than later.”

We rely on a considerable number of local volunteer organisations to help us run the Show on show day and in return we make donations to their organisations.  The cancellation of the Show will hit them hard as it means there will be no donations this year – today is a very sad day.

We would like to thank everyone involved with us for your continuing support.  Please bear with us whilst we work on arrangements going forward.

The date for the next Show will be 29^th May 2021

South East Point to Point Meetings (www.pointingse.com)

From the point to point racing Co website “This is a formal announcement to confirm that the British point-to-point season is closed for this season”

FCN (the Farm Community Network) have asked us to remind everyone that:-

With the closure of schools across the country in response to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID 19) children are likely to be at home for some time. The Health Safety Executive is reminding those involved in the farming industry to keep children safe during the COVID-19 restrictions. Please remember

• Follow social distancing guidance and wash your hands regularly.

• Most children who are killed or seriously injured in farm incidents are family Keep children out of work areas. Make sure play areas are away from the work area and secure.

What you need to know:

1. Children should not be allowed in the farm work place (and for young children they should enjoy outdoor space in a secure fenced area).
2. Any access to the work area by children under 16, for example for education, or knowledge, experience, should be planned and fully supervised by an adult not engaged in any work activity.
3. Children under the age of 13 years are specifically prohibited from driving or riding on any agricultural machine.

There are various very useful documents available online to give you all further guidance

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

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