Weekly Sales News – 8th May 2018

New season lambs Top price per head – £146 – Friday Street Farmers; Top price per kilo – 329p – D Isaac

Report on trade: The best entry of lambs we have seen this year sold to a deserved trade for the quality that was on offer. Two of our vendors with smart continental type lambs, Friday Street Farmers and D Isaac had their first draw of the year. They were well rewarded for the tough time they have had with early lambing this year selling lambs to £146 and 329p per kg respectively. The overall average was returned at 303p, which must be a record for the time of year.

Hoggets Top price per head – £164 – R Lloyd Pack; Top price per kilo – 297p – D & K Taylor

A super entry of hoggets met a super trade from start to finish. Averages would be a little less than last week but this is just the SQQ figure which less of the quality sheep now fall into and the real stars of the show were in the heavy category which were 10p ahead of last weeks figures. We are starting to see a similar trend to last year with these heavy sheep being in short supply nationally and there are not enough new season lambs available that can fit the requirements that these purchasers have and therefore prices are on fire. Saying this the overall average is still £35 ahead of last years corresponding week, but this is the point where we saw the rise last year. Some super runs of heavy sheep from P Gorringe, H Rivers and J Smith saw all sold sheep selling at over £140 and up to £154 for some tremendous Beltex cross 57kg Hoggets from P Gorringe. Best export sorts sold to almost 300p for some smart 39kg Beltex  hoggets from D & K Taylor but these lighter weights were certainly not quite as strong as we have seen them but still a fantastic trade in comparison to what we are used to!

Producers please note – For top results please present well fleshed lambs which are preferably dry and clean. Lairage facilities and dagging are available every Monday evening.

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: Ewes were a little harder to sell than in recent weeks but still a very good trade, just not quite as on fire as we have seen! Best ewes are selling well in excess of £100 to a top of £122 from J Hooker.  More numbers have been drawn out to market in the last 7 days which has had a slight impact on prices but as we said in the hoggets, it is still a fantastic trade in comparison to what we have seen in recent years!

Top prices this week included Texel Crosses to £122 from J Hooker, Suffolk Crosses to £117 from G Lawrence, Mules to £97.50 from T Crick. Romneys to £90 from M J Ashworth.

Report on trade: A much reduced entry but still a very fast trade with best stores £85 plus and up to £99 from M Hooker & Son.

A small entry of ewes and lambs topped at £156 (£52 per life) for a Texel cross ewe with twin lambs at foot from K Lukehurst.

Report on trade: Demand slowed in this section and all lambs offered made £4 to £17. Average £8.75.

Report on trade: All cattle dearer on the week and many more could have been sold at similar prices. The best handy weight butcher types sold readily around 215p notably Limousin cross heifers at £1196 (218p) from R F & E A Simmons and £1082 (217p) from D W Ferguson Ltd, Blonde cross heifer at £1086 (214p) from G L Boulden & Sons and a Limousin cross steer at £1232 (213p) from W Alexander (Shoreham ).

More commercial sorts made in the 190’s with a heavy Limousin cross steer £1286 (200p) from W Alexander (Shoreham) and a run of continental x Friesians all selling at 190p plus and up to £1224 (198p) from A J Down.

A small percentage of native bred cattle saw a Sussex steer selling well at £1163 (196p) from Earl de la Warr and Friesians up to £997 (154p) from R Price & Son.

Report on trade: An excellent entry after the Bank Holiday and quality generally very good. Meat cows, both beef and dairy, were as dear as we have seen them with the processed meat market obviously benefiting from the early summer weather, the two close Bank Holidays, and the onset of Ramadan. All grades met strong demand on the day with only the first few culls from grass and parlour not hitting the heights. Prospects remain very positive!

Best prices included Simmental crosses 172p, 170p(2), 169p, 168p, 167p(2) and £1221, £1072, £1051, £1017 from C R Cook; Charolais cross 168p, 166p £1307, £1206 (Exempt) M J Booth and a Sussex cross 135p I Williams.

Some very good fleshed Friesian and Holstein cows on offer and these sold at record levels. Top calls included Holstein Friesians to 150p  and £1398, 141p, 136p(3), 134p(2) £1222, £1151, £1128, £1077, £1052, £1036 from Appleton Farms; British Friesian 149p, 148p, 146p £1149, £1106, £1037 Debden Court; Flekveih 140p £1130 (Non FA) A R J Cyster & Sons and Jersey 97p(2) £516, £502 Hickson Bros.

A Limousin bull made 122p and £1203.

Report on trade: Small numbers post bank holiday prior to our bigger planned day next week saw another marvellous trade with plenty of farmers with plenty of grass looking to purchase cattle.

British Blue x Friesian steers 8-9 mths made £670 and Aberdeen Angus x Friesian steers 9-10 mths £700 from V & C Smith; South Devon cross steers 12 mths £795, £650 and heifers £600, £550 from I Tapsell and  Friesian steers 20-22 mths £695, P & G & J Carden.

Remember if you have cattle to sell please ring any of our team of auctioneers and fieldsmen for advice and to ensure cataloguing and proper advertising within our sales.

Report on trade: 12 vendors sold calves this week and we can report a solid trade with good demand for all and particularly a good number of customers for the young black and white and Ayrshire bulls to rear. A large number of store cattle have been sold in recent weeks and rearers are looking to restock to keep numbers on the farms.

Messrs F W Hamlyn & Son sold Aberdeen Angus bulls born in early march to £235and a Simmental heifer born early February to £195; T Castle & Son mid February to early March born Britissh Blue x Friesian bulls to £310 (twice) and Limousin bulls £320; J Warnock & Son an early March born British Blue heifer £280; Squerryes Estate Dairies mid February to early March born British Blue bulls £320 to £340 and heifers to £300 plus Charollais bulls to £350. Appleton (Ledger) Farms Ltd sold March born British Blue bulls to £260 and a run of 9 heifers to £245 averaging £183.

The entry of dairy bulls was mainly younger sorts with the best to rear making to £105 and the majority £60 to £95.

Sales will be offered fortnightly again through the whole of 2018. Please keep in touch whether you are a buyer or seller.

Report on trade: A small entry this week and demand was good and prices increased again for the third sale in a row. The cull trade improved too.

Good finished pigs made to 128p per kg and all bar a few making over 100p. Top grossing pigs were £110 from P W & P Sim. S Scott and Sons 14 mid weight pigs averaged £92.85.

The cull sow trade improved with the best 34p to 36p and grossing to £103.

F C N (The Farm Community Network) news

Mental Health Awareness Week – 14^th to 20^th May – To meet the demands of modern farming, staying well mentally is as important as staying well physically.

During, representatives from both the Farming Community Network (FCN) and the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) will be here in the market on Tuesday 15 May, to raise awareness of the importance of positive mental health in farming.

FCN and RABI invite you to come along to meet them at the market, to talk about their work, receive free information about the support available to farming families and hear how agronomy company Agrii is working with FCN over the next five years to promote good mental health in the farming community.

FCN’s National Helpline (03000 111 999) is open every day of the year from 7am – 11pm

Notices – Robin Ledger, Smarden

The family have advised that Robin very sadly passed away recently after a short illness. A regular market user and well known and respected in his local community he will be missed by his family and all who knew him.

A funeral service will be held on Friday 18^th May at Smarden Church at 2pm.

For up to date information on all livestock sales please contact

Elwyn Davies (Sheep) 07710 803901 or 01233 861263

Peter Kingwill (Cattle & Sheep) 07795 200357

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

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

Mark Cleverdon (Rams, Breeding Cattle, Pigs & Calves) 07748 202688

John Rossiter (Cull ewes & store sheep plus commercial vehicles) 07557 392903

Romney Sheepbreeders News

The recent edition of the breeders Society newsletter, produced by new breed secretary Julie Lukehurst, is available here in the market. For all society information Julie can be contacted on 07538 938425

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The May edition of this popular regional farming magazine is now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker are regular contributors to the editorial content.

In addition our Property Consultants Outlook for Summer 2017, is included with this months publication and again are available hare in the market. Articles from our Property Consultants team and James Hickman’s commentary on the agricultural land market makes interesting reading for all landowners and occupiers.

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

For Sale – 25 Aberdeen Angus x British Friesian heifers, 18-20 mths – West Sussex. Ring Elwyn on 07710 803901

For Sale – 6 Farm bred Collie puppies (4 bitches and 2 dogs). Ready in mid May – East Kent. Ring 07595 830165.

Wanted – Experienced full time farm worker for a mixed livestock and arable farm in the Reigate area. Accommodation available. Ring 07885 649666