Weekly Sales News – 9th February 2021

Top price per head – £145.50 – P Gorringe; Top price per kilo – Wey Street Farm LLP – 335p

Report on trade: Another good entry of over 2,000 hoggets was penned this week and once again the trade has taken another step forward. 300p per kg is almost becoming a regular achievement and hoggets made up to a new top of the season of 335p for some smart Charollais crosses from Wey Street Farm LLP (34kg at £114) but pole position was taken by P Gorringe with some cracking Beltex cross hoggets at £145.50 which were 49kg and just a shade under £3 despite the heavy weight.

The medium weights are certainly the most sought after sheep for the export market from 37kg to 44kg being the target bracket for the best price per kilo with runs of sheep from Beslee Farms and J Pitman selling up to the 300p mark and in the heavier types, a superb run of well-bred and finished sheep from P Fenner at Black Robin Farm Ptns selling to £140 and the vast majority of the run sold in excess of £120.

More fleshed lambs required to satisfy requirements of current buyers. Important to contact us regarding numbers so that we can notify the buyers.

Report on trade: A small entry of ewes forward this week and trade is on a level to recent weeks without the quality on offer to boost averages. Best ewes are still well sold with continentals to £109 from J Cook.

The ewe trade is a little slower nationally and hasn’t seen the boost that we have seen in the hoggets as the end user of this product is UK based and catering and restaurant demand is obviously at an all-time low. Once the current lockdown restrictions are eased, we may see a lift in this which is showing in the price of grazing types which are trading at strong levels from £50 to £65.

Report on trade: Another exceptional trade for store hoggets with all sorts making in excess of £100 and topping at £105.50 for Charollais crosses from Mrs C Wickens and Romney wethers looking well sold up to £100 from Wey Street Farm LLP and H G Tompsett & Sons Ltd. Medium stores made around £90 and the majority of small long-term keeping sorts £65 to £80.

If you have stores to sell you would be well advised to take advantage of these strong prices.

Report on trade: This was not the quality show of recent weeks with at least 2 regular vendors not in attendance due to the weather but nevertheless, trade was brisk throughout with the few best cattle on offer selling readily around 230p per kg. These included Blonde cross heifers £1256 (229p) and £1199 (229p) from G L Boulden & Sons with a smart Limousin cross heifer topping the market at £1312 (237p) from R F & E A Simmons.

Heavier and native bred cattle made around 190p with Hereford x Friesian heifer £1102 (189p) from R Winstone. Aberdeen Angus crosses grossed well with steer £1288 (180p) from P M Thomas and heifer £1293 (188p) from Cowdray Home Farms.

Leaner sorts in need of further finishing made 190p to 220p depending on weight and quality with Limousin cross heifers £1190 (213p) and £883 (227p) from S J M Evans and a run of mainly continental cross steers grossing well from £1100 to £1280 with tops £1286 (194p), £1281 (192p) and £1265 (194p) from Gillshaw Farms Ltd.

A small selection of OTM saw heavyweight Aberdeen Angus cross steer topping at £1457 (169p) from Barfrestone Court Farms Ltd.

Report on trade: There is simply no stopping the demand for processing beef with a trade today as dear as ever. The entry was undoubtedly restricted by weather conditions but those fortunate enough to be able to get cows to Ashford were certainly well rewarded. Slaughter and feeding cows both took a price lift with buyers determined to secure numbers. There were no assured fleshed beef cows, but some fed non assured readily made 140p to 160p per kg with nothing under 110p of any grade. Feeders were desperately wanted.

Beef tops included Aberdeen Angus 154p £1127 (Non FA) Barfrestone Court Farms Ltd; British Blue 146p £1244 (Non FA) Barfrestone Court; Simmental cross 150p £943 (Non FA) T Talar and 145p £1191 (Non FA) Barfrestone Court Farms Ltd; Sussex 138p (3) £990 C D Bishop; Limousin cross 136p (Non FA) J H & A H Godden with Red Poll 125p £779 (Non FA) New Barn Farm.

There was plenty of flesh on a small show of good dairy culls which met a sensational trade with best cows 130p to 140p and little under 110p.

Top culls included British Friesian 139p 138p 137p 136p 135p 133p (2) £1086 £1078 £1024 £1017 £1011 PHR Farms (13 Hope cows averaged £943 – thank you Martin!) with Holstein Friesian 136p (2) £1118 £1042 WF Farms.

Stock bulls well sold and particularly for the fleshed lighter weights.

Report on trade: The snow and ice unfortunately had an impact on the entry with farmers and hauliers sensibly not taking the risks on treacherous roads in some areas. There is no stopping the trade which was on fire throughout. Clearly confidence is high amongst finishers as beef prices remain positive and a ‘Covid impact’ on retail sales looks set to continue for some time yet! Fears of short supplies this spring and later in 2021 seem certain to be born out as the beef and dairy herd nationally continues to constrict.

All grades, weights and shapes a firm trade with a good attendance of customers on a bitterly cold day! A selection of prices demonstrates the strength of the trade.

• Kent College: Limousin x Sussex heifers 8mths £590, Hereford cross steer 12mths £730, British Blue cross steer 16mths £935, heifer £780;
• J Bower: Limousin cross steers 11mths £870 £860, heifers £850;
• Barfrestone Court Farms Ltd: Aberdeen Angus cross steers 12mths £870 £820 £805, heifers 18mths £910;
• H & S Nesfield: British Blue cross steers 16mths £810;
• P H Hope: Aberdeen Angus cross steers 12mths £865 £780, heifers £670;
• Ross Farms: Aberdeen Angus cross and Hereford cross steers 26mths £940;
• P M Thomas: Aberdeen Angus cross steers 24mths £1220, Simmental cross steers 22mths £1070;
• A J Thompson & Sons: Limousin cross steers 24mths £1040, Simmental cross steers 12mths £860

Regular buyers keen for cattle. Please contact us with entries now for forthcoming sales.

Report on trade:  Another very small entry and the pig sector is “all dome and gloom” at the moment both nationally and locally.

One run of finished pigs were penned from C B Hope which all weighted over 100kg and made to 88p and £101. The remainder were very low priced.

Three pens of store pigs made to £34 for medium weight whites from T Russell and others made £12 for young Berkshires and £28 for Pietrain crosses from S & D Butler

Please note Covid-19 regulations mean we will be again implementing a “Drop and go Policy” and no vendors will be permitted to attend the market other than to deliver stock.

Please help us to ensure your market remains open and operational.

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 TB1 Holdings.

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

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

Hay, Straw and fodder

For a small charge we are quite happy to advertise your hay, straw and fodder for sale in this register which will now run until early May for further details please ring our auctioneer’s office on 01233 502222 or Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

For Sale – 120 5’ Round bales of 2020 hay. Rolvenden area 07860 469597

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