Weekly Sales News – 7th July 2020


Read on for this weeks reports….

 


Finished Sheep

2,678 Sold

Top price per Kilo – 249p – C A Worley Farming Ltd:  Top price per Head – £107 – C & J Georgetti & Sons

Report on trade: Another big entry of new season lambs with almost 2,700 penned and there was a big variance quality of the lambs on offer. Some super export lambs and some not so super but the best sold on the day once again were the heaviest and best meated lambs as which nationally are in short supply. A super run of well finished lambs from C & J Georgetti & Sons sold in excess of £100. Smart export grade lambs were in demand but with a smaller number on offer in the entry the averages were back this week. The best from C A Worley Farming Ltd sold to 249p per kg for the second week running. Overall the trade would be similar to last week despite averages being slightly down on the week.

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.

                                            New Season Lambs
KgsTop PriceAve PriceTop Vendorp per kg
3575.0071.44R Mair & Son214.0
3677.0073.41D Hopper214.0
3792.0078.67C A Worley Farming Ltd249.0
3892.0078.06C A Worley Farming Ltd242.0
3995.5083.33G H Dean & Co245.0
4089.0084.23Mrs C Wimble & G H Dean & Co222.0
 4195.0086.88Mrs V McDonald232.0
4295.0089.16Mrs V McDonald226.0
4397.0094.23C & J Georgetti & Sons226.0
44101.0097.20C & J Georgetti & Sons230.0
45102.00100.31C & J Georgetti & Sons227.0
New Season Lambs – pence per kg
     Weight RangeNumberTopBottomAverageNational Av
Standard 32.1 to 39 kgs1,305249.0173.0209.90142.9
Medium 39.1 to 45.5 kgs1,056232.0180.0214.72158.3
Heavy 45.6 to 52 kgs112227.0191.0214.30136.4

Cull Ewes and Rams

460 sold

Report on trade: A few more on offer this week with trade improved for all sorts. Best meated continental ewes sold to £104 from Mrs V McDonald with both D Isaac and N A Balcomb & Son both selling ewes at £90 to £100. The ewe trade has lifted slightly in recent weeks in anticipation of the upcoming festival at the end of July. Our advice is to keep selling each week to avoid the commonplace flood of ewes in the week before. Several grazing types were on offer as ewes are started to be weaned and these traded from £40 to £60.

Store and Breeding Sheep

0 Sold

Sock Lambs

0 Sold

Finished Cattle

67 Sold

Report on trade: A good trade for an increased show of cattle with 10 individual successful buyers ensuring competitive returns throughout. The best smart continental cross handy weights attracted prices in excess of 210p per kg notably a Limousin cross steer £1379 (216p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) and Limousin cross heifers  £1233 (215p) from W S Furnival (Brookland), £1238 (213p) from D W Page & Son, £1182 (212p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) and £1131 (210p) from R F & E A Simmons.

A run of Limousin x Friesian steers sold well grossing up to £1212 and in the 190p to 195p bracket while the best of the Hereford x Friesian steers sold in excess of £1100 and up to £1183 (186p) all from A J Down. Other native bred cattle to sell well included an Aberdeen Angus cross steer £1281 (180p) and Sussex cross steer £1085 (191p) from R C & J L Pickering and heavy weight Sussex cross steer £1269 (178p) from The Montreal Estate.

Leading steer prices
ProducerWeightAge and breedP per kgGross £
W Alexander (Shoreham)64020 mths Limousin216.01379
W Alexander (Shoreham)63517 mths British Blue196.01241
A J Down58520 mths Limousin195.01138
R C & J L Pickering57022 mths Sussex191.01086
A J Down59720 mths Limousin190.01131
Leading heifer prices
W S Furnival (Brookland)57516 mths Limousin215.01233
D W Page & Son58328 mths Limousin213.01239
W Alexander (Shoreham)55920 mths Limousin212.01182
W S Furnival (Brookland)48516 mths Limousin212.01026
R F & E A Simmons54026 mths Limousin210.01131

Cull Cows and Bulls

61 Sold

Report on trade: A very good entry for the time of year and whilst it was a pretty mixed offering, with a high proportion of non-assured stock, we saw another excellent trade throughout with strong competition for all grades. We only had a few fleshed assured beef cows this week but the good non assured killing cows made 125p to 145p per kg showing the strength in demand from all sectors as the takeaway and restaurant market opens up. Feeding cows were all very dear with plenty of Sussex and Sussex cross cows making 130p to 140p. We were short of dairy culls with flesh though the few that ticked the box were readily making 125p to 135p and grossing well over £1000. The medium steaking cows look very well sold indeed with little under 100p and plenty 100p to 115p.

Overage Holstein steers were a good trade, particularly when farm assured. Bulls continue a good trade with a variety on offer topping at £1428 for a strong Limousin assured bull.

Headlines included Sussex cross 146p £924 Beaute Agri and 126p £778 A J Britton (non FA); Aberdeen Angus cross 145p, 137p, 131p, 128p, 123p, £1096, £1027, £962 Barfrestone Court Farms Ltd (non FA); Sussex 143p, 139p, (3)134p, 133p, 131p, £758, £748(2), £747 J Muscat (non FA); British Blue 138p, £985 (non FA) Barfrestone Court Farms Ltd; Limousin cross 137p, £996 (non FA) J Wickens; Simmental cross 132p, 128p, £918, £907 (non FA) G Hosmer & Son; Lincoln Red cross 129p, £816 (non FA) J Bower; South Devon 128p, H & S Nesfield and Hereford 122p, £831 (non FA) F Henderson.

Best dairy included Holstein 132p, £1098 Oncoland Ltd; 129p, 120p (2), £1034, £956, £950 J Warnock & Son and 124p, (2) £1019 Leggat Farming Ltd. Holstein steers 162p, 146p, £872 M W Goddard; 155p, 143p, £1041 J W Boyd & Sons Ltd and 141p, 140p (3), £873, £858 E T Ledger & Son Ltd.

Bulls included Limousin 122p, 110p, £1428, £832 and Aberdeen Angus 108p, 100p, 99p, £1226, £1064

Cull cattle section – pence per kg
ClassificationNoTopBottomAverage
Beef cows33145.548.5121.5
Dairy cows24154.558.5113.1
Bulls5121.598.5107.3

 

Store Cattle

151 Sold

Report on trade: Good numbers of store cattle for the time of year and whilst the quality would be variable there really was a very strong enquiry from customers obviously keen to keep numbers up. Current beef price levels are obviously helping the short term cattle but long term concern’s over national numbers is obviously helping focus feeder’s minds too. If you have any cattle to sell in the season please contact any of us as collating entries into bigger fortnightly sales is the right thing to do in July and August.

Good bulls with age on their side are a strong trade and British Blue, 12-15 mths sold to £880 from Hurst Agriculture but poorly bred types with age against them are hard work with buyers looking at castration costs in the equation. Smart yearlings are a very good trade with Aberdeen Angus steers, 12-14 mths from R Brown & Daughter £815, £745, £630 and their heifers £740, £575; Gallagher Farms steers, 9 mths £705, heifers, 9 mths £680 and £630; W Gutsell, East Sussex sold his yearling steers, £895, £780 and £695 and R Thomas, also across the border saw Aberdeen Angus and Hereford steers, 12-14 mths to £780 and £755.

A good enquiry for the feeding cattle with a mixed range of stock selling regularly at £700 to £900. Forward cattle were wanted with a British Blue cross steer £1140 P J & P B Wade; Limousin steer £1040 C Langridge and a Sussex steer, £950 and British Blue cross steer, £940.

Overall a very good trade for the season and those of you maybe short of feed would be well advised to sell now rather than watching stock go back in condition.

Please contact us if you have store cattle to sell. We have lots of enquiries and interest with competitive prices to match.

Breeding Cattle

2 Sold

Report on trade: Two cow and calf outfits for sale this week from Castle Hill Farmers were met with plenty of interest.  Aberdeen Angus cows with Aberdeen Angus calves at foot eventually sold for £940 per outfit.

Calves

67 Sold

Report on trade: Some fantastic quality calves on offer this week which were met with another very strong trade. More could have been sold to vendors advantage!

One of the best, if not the best entry of continental calves that has been seen in Ashford for some time were forward this week. Continental bulls sold to £405 for a British Blue from J E Scutt & Sons with all other continental bulls selling for over £200. Heifers in demand as much as the bulls with trade topping at £350 for a British Blue from T Castle & Son, plenty more over the £300 mark too with keen bidding for all continental calves today

The native section was full of quality this week as well with bulls selling to £345 for an Aberdeen Angus again from J E Scutt & Sons. There was plenty of demand for other breeds to with a run of Beef Shorthorn steers from J Howie selling to £185. Native heifers sold to £260 for an Aberdeen Angus from J E Scutt & Sons. Some of the younger contingent of native heifers would have looked well sold with many making over £150.

A small entry of dairy sired calves this week with trade a little easier. Calves forward mainly on the Holstein side with a top of £35.

A 100% clearance rate in the weanling section this week with trade topping at £350 for a British Blue steer from T Higgins. Plenty of Aberdeen Angus heifers and steers were forward too with trade topping at £295 for a February born steer from T Higgins. Aberdeen Angus heifers look well sold at £270 from G R Edgar & Son.

Calf averages – £ per head
DescriptionNoTopBottomAverage
Continental bulls14405.00210.00271.43
Continental heifers10350.00200.00270.50
Native bulls11345.0015000201.82
Native heifers6260.00100.00178.33
Friesian – 2nd735.0025.0029.86
Friesian – 3rd and Bobbies320.0020.0020.00
Stirks
Native male7350.00285.00295.71
Native female8270.00185.00238.13

Store and Finished Pigs

0 Sold

General information

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

For Sale – 3 yr old Beef Shorthorn bull who is proven – Surrey. Ring Mark Cleverdon for details 07741 845230

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 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”

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

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

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

Hairdressers has now opened

Sharon and her team here in the market have opened again, please adhere to social distancing rules and thank you for your understanding.

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 Farm Well 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.

 

Hobbs Parker Car Auctions news

We are back in business !!

Enter your classic vehicle now !

Online Auction Thursday and Friday 16th and 17th July

If you have a classic vehicle that you would like to sell at auction, or if you are looking to buy, Hobbs Parker will be holding specialist Classic Auctions throughout 2020 at our auction site in Ashford.

Our Classic Auctions are hugely popular and attract hundreds of vehicles and buyers. Contact us now to enter your vehicle at our online timed auction on 16th-17th July with physical viewing from Tuesday 14th July.

Visit our website for entries and all details