Weekly Sales News – 9th July 2019

Sheep sales reports

Finished Sheep – 2,763 Sold

Auctioneer: John Rossiter 07557 392903

Top Price Per Head – £90 – E Chantler & Sons, Mrs Laura Bernard, C & J Georgetti & Sons: Top Price Per Kilo – 220p – S Weeks & Sons

Report on trade: A bigger entry of lambs this week with nearly 2,700 penned met a more difficult trade for all on offer following the flyer we saw last week. Today’s trade was more in line with what we would expect to see at this time of year with these numbers on offer.

Heavier best fleshed offerings are the best sold and coming to the top money per head with these generally trading between £85 and £90. The best continental lambs for the export market were probably the most down on recent weeks but all still selling in excess of 200p per kg with a lovely run from Mrs C A Worley selling from 210p to 217p.

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.

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Report on trade: A large entry of ewes met a similar firm trade to last week to average £61.80 overall. The best crossbred sorts sold readily around £80 from C B Hope and J G & D G White while continental crosses topped at £81 from N A Balcomb & Son.

4 tooth wethers made to £79.50 from J Wayman,  best fleshed Mules to £75.50 from J E Wickens and Romney’s £71 from N A Balcomb & Son and £70 from A R Dunlop

Medium sorts made around £60 and the majority of plain grazing ewes £30 to £50.

Report on trade: We can report a similar trade on the week with a handy weight Limousin heifer topping the market at £1030 (207p per kg) from W S Furnival (Brookland). Generally the better sorts were making 190p plus with  a run of Limousin cross heifers mainly selling in the 185p to 195p range and grossing up to £1118 from W S Furnival (Brookland)  and heavier sorts around 175p notably a British Blue cross steer at £1162 (174p) from K & P M Sinden & Sons and a Limousin steer at £1125 (175p) from R F & E A Simmons.

A few native bred cattle were on offer with a Hereford cross steer topping at £1050 (180p) from A J Down.

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Report on trade: An increased entry of cows and the trade very much on a par with recent weeks. A Simmental Cross cow topped the market at £1007 (128p per kg) from J Hooker & Son with other top beef cows selling readily around at around 115p,  notably an Aberdeen Angus cross at £867 (108p) from WF Farms and Sussex £822 (114p) from H W Richards.

The dairy cows averaged 78.7p with the best making around 110p and to £976 (112p) from M W Goddard and a £892 (108p) from W F Farms. Plainer sorts made mainly 60p to 80p and Ayrshires to £320 (76p) from from A N Waters Ltd.

Please do not hesitate to ring at anytime for marketing advice.          

Store Cattle – 56 Sold

Auctioneer: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901

Report on trade: A small entry of stores and while prices are not at spring time levels trade was completive with 9 individual and successful buyers. The best cattle attracted the most interest while second and third qualitycontinue to be hard to place reflecting returns in the finished section.

A smart 16 mth Charolais heifer topped the market at £895 from B A & P T Heath with other top prices included 24 mth Limousin cross steer at £890 from DK Everett, 16 mth old Limousin cross steer £850 from LJ Osbourne & Son while an 18 mth old Aberdeen Angus cross steer made £770  from Mrs J Bell.

A run of 12 mth old  Friesian Steers topped at £260 from R T W Baker.

We have potential customers keen for store cattle and nearly 100 head of Breeding and store cattle already entered for Tuesday 23^rd July – please contact us, if you have cattle to sell.

Report on trade: A small entry of stores and while prices are not at spring time levels trade was completive with 9 individual and successful buyers. The best cattle attracted the most interest while second and third qualitycontinue to be hard to place reflecting returns in the finished section.

A smart 16 mth Charolais heifer topped the market at £895 from B A & P T Heath with other top prices included 24 mth Limousin cross steer at £890 from DK Everett, 16 mth old Limousin cross steer £850 from LJ Osbourne & Son while an 18 mth old Aberdeen Angus cross steer made £770  from Mrs J Bell.

A run of 12 mth old  Friesian Steers topped at £260 from R T W Baker.

We have potential customers keen for store cattle and nearly 100 head of Breeding and store cattle already entered for Tuesday 23^rd July – please contact us, if you have cattle to sell.

Report on trade: A few less young calves about this week with a few vendors yet to start calving and those forward were generally younger overall than has been seen for some weeks. Trade still looks firm when compared to other grades of cattle around the country!

Some nice continental calves were entered but lacking some of the size we have seen from the top priced calves of recent sales. Bulls sold to £220 for a British Blue from J W Boyd & Sons and generally traded at £200 or more. Continental heifers sold to £230 for a British Blue heifer from PJ Forknall with most continental heifers selling in between £150 and £200.

Native sired calves would have been best sold on the day with a top of £250 for an Aberdeen Angus bull from Kingcott Dairy and all native sired bulls sold over £160 and most £170 – £200. Native sired heifers topped at £140 for Herefords from Goddard & Son, with all selling between £120 and £140 with the oldest being only just over one month of age!

Dairy sired calves were a little harder work than previous weeks, nether the less trade topped at £78 (twice) for black and whites from W S Furnival while second grade calves were £30 – £40 with bobbies £15-£25.

In the Stirk pens we saw an increased entry this week with goods to suit most tastes. Trade certainly shows a demand for these reared calves with British Blue steers selling to £410 from AJ Kearl, Aberdeen Angus heifers to £360 again from AJ Kearl and black and white steers to £180 from M W Goddard.

35 Stirks are already entered for Tuesday 23^rd July and more entries are anticipated to be confirmed closer to the sale, please keep an eye out in next week’s market report! If you have Calves or Striks to sell please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Vendors: Please try to inform us of entries for the calf and stirk sale as early as possible to enable us to inform buyers of the expected entry. This allows both us and them to plan better for the days sale. Please do try to make every effort to register the sire of your native bred (principally Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cross) calves. Calves that do not have registered sires are at a disadvantage when offered for sale!

Store and Finished Pigs – 80 Sold

Auctioneer: Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

Report on trade: More pigs penned this week and all wanted and the best were a better price than 2 weeks ago. Sows were in less demand and the stores pens were short of bidders.

Finished pigs sold to a top of 146p per kg for 2 Saddleback gilts from HMP East Sutton with Peitrain x Saddlebacks 144p from S J M Evans and grossing £114.60 and £108 respectively. 12 pigs in the entry again grossed over £100 and no clean pigs sold at under 64p.

Cull pigs were not in demand as we have seen recently with the best 58p per kg and £133 and the remainder  40p to 50p. A big boar 42p and £132.

Only one pen of store pigs saw strongish native bred feeders make £21.

Ashford Market Lairage arrangements

Please note our official time for delivery of stock on Monday’s is 3pm to 6pm. Please advise the auctioneers office or any of the livestock team if you require this facility.

Summer events / meetings in the area of interest to farmers

Tendring Show – This Saturday 13^th July –  Lawford House Park, Bromley Road, Lawford, Nr Manningtree, Essex. CO11 2ND. All show enquiries to 01206 231821 or www.tendringshow.co.uk

Singleton Rare Breeds Show – This Sunday 14^th July – Weald and Downland Museum, Singleton, Chichester. Full details available from the museum on 01243 811348.

Southern Shears UK – This Sunday 14th July – Copford Sawmill, Dern Lane, Heathfield, East Sussex. TN21 0PN. Southern Shears UK is a sheep shearing competition set up to achieve the following aims – to promote the skill and craft of sheep shearing and wool handling, to hold an annual competition; to promote and encourage an interest in wool and to encourage co-operation in the local farming community. For all details and entries please contact Mary Masters on 01273 517824.

The Southern Rover Owners Club will also be at Southern Shears come along and see what our members get up to.
If you have a 4 x 4 give it a go on our scenic drive or passenger one of our members in theirs. We will also have our junior trials vehicle on site for the kids to have a go.

Moreton in Marsh Show – Saturday 7^th September – Gloucestershire.  For details www.moretonshow.co.uk

Romney Marsh Ploughing Match – Sunday 1st September –  Ham Mill Lane, Hamstreet, Ashford. TN26 2QW – Ploughing starts at 10am, Fun dog show at 12pm and also sheep shearing and  craft stalls. For more information 07785 783662 or email: romneyploughing@yahoo.co.uk

East Sussex Ploughing Match – Saturday 29^th September – Broad Farm, Hellingly, East Sussex by kind permission of Richard Mortimore-Lee. For more information www.espms.co.uk or 07752 247469

South East Farmer and Farm Machinery magazines

The July editions of these popular regional farming magazines are now available here in the market. Hobbs Parker is a regular contributor to the editorial content.

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

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

Cream Tea and Garden tour – Thursday 8^th August at Hole Park, Rolvenden TN17 4JA at 2.30pm. Tickets £15 from Charles Tassell or Sheila Adams 07783 398439

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 12th August  at 7.30p.m – visit to Tim Piper’s pheasant shoot to view this years poults etc, Owley Farm, Acton Lane, Wittersham,  Tenterden. TN 30 7HL.

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

Ashford Cattle Show summer competitions

Sheep flocks. Competition, sponsored by Wilkins Kennedy (Accountants) and Hallett & Co (Solicitors), has now been judged.

This years competition was judged by Gurney White. It was a long day and we thank you all who gave up their time to show Gurney and Marie Prebble (steward) around their flocks. There was a range of entrants this year and some new ones. The judge commented on the flocks looking well this year, with those on permanent pasture doing well on old lays. Congratulations to winner Larry Cooke and two sons Michael and Joe with runners up Dylan Isaac & Holly Chandler.

Pedigree class: 1st W Cooke & Son (Farmers), Rye, 2nd Langrish Farmers, Beckley, 3rd P Boulden, 4th A Head, 5th C D & J Bishop.

Commercial Class: 1st D Isaac & H Chandler, 2nd P Francesconi, 3rd Langrish Farmers, =4th A & H Edmonds & J Hickman, 6th Ben Corrie, 7th M & D Prebble, and8th A J Jull

Champion flock: W Cooke & Son (Farmers)

Beef herds. Competition sponsored by Michael Owen (Animalscan) and Nick Bates.  Judging is planned for August. For details and entries please contact Charlie Bull 01797 230503 or 07825 665498 email: bull_herd04@btinternet.com

Crops. Competition sponsored by Agrii (Agronomy services). This competition has now being judged. Please contact Tim Porter 07557 200611email: tporter_esq@hotmail.com

Remember this year’s pre-Christmas event is on Monday and Tuesday 26^th and 27^th November

Hobbs Parker Auctioneers and Car Auctions run over 200 auction sales every year

Our next Auction Sales include……

Commercial Vehicles

Thursday 18^th July and 1^st August at 3.00pm

A wide selection of up to 40 vehicles are generally offered in these sales

Collective Machinery & Equipment sale

Friday 16^th August at 9.30am.

Catalogues will be available about a week before the sale

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

Bank Holiday Bumper Car Auction Sale.

Monday 26^th August at 10.00am

Chilli Farm Machinery sale

Saturday 28^th September at 9.30am

Large entries of tractors, trailers, vehicles, arable equipment, haymaking equipment, tractor attachments & spares, livestock kit, garden machinery, workshop tools and a large and varied selection of rural bygones.

Something a little different – a article reproduced with permission from Alisdair Houston, Scottish farmer – the content is self explanatory.

“APOLOGIES for the length of this, but I’m finding myself more and more agitated (sick of it would be closer to the mark) by the misrepresentation and the ‘bandwagon-jumping’ that’s going on regarding the effect of ‘eating red meat’ on climate change. Listening to the news, you would be forgiven for believing that red meat production is a major factor.

I accept that there are different beef production systems worldwide and some of those will undoubtedly have a higher carbon footprint than others. Hauling (irrigated) feedstock long distances to intensive feedlots, or deforestation to create relatively poor quality cropping land to produce feed for beef animals would be examples.

But let’s consider for a minute what a great deal of beef production worldwide and certainly the UK industry actually does.

Wetter parts of the world including most of the western and a lot of the northern parts of UK are simply not suitable for large scale arable or vegetable crop production. It’s just not going to happen. But these areas are great for producing grass, often on land that has other limitations like gradient, soil depth and quality to make it of little use other than for grass (or trees that we can’t eat.)

Grassland is universally recognized by scientists as an important carbon sink and, unlike trees, most of the carbon it captures is stored underground.
Solar energy (in short supply in Gretna Green this month) makes this clever green stuff grow, and efficient herbivores such as sheep and cattle convert that solar energy into protein and energy that humans can eat and digest.

Added to that virtual cycle is a second one: the grazing habits and the dung produced by these grazing animals improves fertility naturally and sustainably whilst supporting an eco system of bugs and beasties which in turn supports bird life and other ecological diversity.

So grass based beef and lamb systems such as most of UK enables us to eat protein produced by animals that are eating grass that is powered by rainwater and sun and is capturing carbon in areas that are unsuitable in any event to grow other crops whilst benefiting the environment in other ways at the same time. That doesn’t sound like a planet-killing food production system to me.

But the media sound bites that we are hearing daily would make most people feel guilty about buying red meat. There appears to me to be an abject failure by media to look at the more nuanced reality. It feels like a classic case of ‘a little knowledge is a dangerous thing’, treating all production systems as one and misrepresenting to the public in the process.

But let’s not put all the blame on others. All of us in our own industry must face up to our own responsibilities. Responsibilities not just to ensure high animal and ecological welfare systems, but to communicate much better. We can’t blame others for not knowing what they don’t know. Into that vacuum has moved misinformation. So I urge all farming organisations including unions, associations and breed societies and individuals to get together, get organised and spend some proper time and money communicating the positive story about what we do. Not by telling people what to do, but by getting the science out there about what we do. It’s probably the single most important aspect facing our industry long after the B word has settled down. “