Weekly Sales News – 16th June 2020

Top price per kilo –243p – C A Worley Farming Ltd; Top price per head – £105 – H & S Nesfield

Report on trade: Almost 2,000 new season lambs penned this week and as is the case most years, the coincidence of this number of lambs forward, usually means the trade takes a hit and this year was no exception. We are now back into line with the figures we were seeing in 2019 with averages per head almost exactly the same. The best lambs to sell are certainly the heavier offerings which were making from £90 to £100 with the heaviest from H & S Nesfield selling to £105 for some strong Charollais lambs weighing 49 kg. There were a lot of quality lambs on offer this week with the best of the export grade sheep selling to 243p  from C A Worley Farming Ltd for some super smart Beltex crosses at 37kgs.

About half a row of late season hoggets were on offer this week with some of the meated sorts without erupted teeth still selling well up to £87 from both Mrs M Hooker and W Cooke & Son (Farmers) Ltd.

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: A small number of ewes this week with a very mixed quality entry of sheep on offer. Very few first quality ewes but those that were available sold to £87 from S Weeks & Sons and £86 from T Masters. Grazing sorts sold made from £40 to £60.

Top prices included Suffolk crosses to £86 from T Masters, Texels to £87 from S Weeks & Sons, Charollais and Romneys to £80 and £76 respectively from N A Balcomb & Son.

For Sale ex farm – 65 Romney and Lleyn x Romney ewes with Romney lambs. East Kent. Ring Simon on 07885 968077

Report on trade: Another improved trade for beef in line with the national trend with best handyweight butcher types making in excess of 200p per kg and heavier sorts 190p plus.

A run of Limousin cross heifers took the pick of the trade at £1159 (204p), £1149 (197p) and £1060 (206p) from W S Furnival (Brookland) and a Limousin cross steer £1075 (196p) from R F & E A Simmons.

Heavier sorts were dearer on the week notably British Blue cross steers at £1361 (195p) and £1291 (195p) from K & P M Sinden & Sons and a black and white Friesian heifer looked well sold at £1000 (151p) from M W Goddard.

More cattle wanted to satisfy improved demand

Report on trade: A quieter day in terms of numbers but no change with regard to the trade which remains on fire. Flesh is wanted and cow numbers will always be short at this time of the year so prices will remain firm unless another source of supply can be found.

Quality again very variable with a few well fleshed best beef cows which made 150p to 170p per kg, plenty 120p to 140p and few under 110p. Amongst the dairy culls the fleshed heavy cows made 130p to150p and little below 100p. An outstanding trade so please ask the question of your non performers!

Beef cow highlights included Limousin cross 149p 155p £1082 Beslee Farms and 158p 92p G L Boulden & Sons; Sussex 158p £992 J Batchelor & Ptnrs, 140p £942 L Stevens & Sons and 144p £976 W J Hurley; Hereford cross 125p £797 (Non FA) S J M Evans; Highland 90p £430 (Non FA) Kent Wildlife Trust and Simmental cross 152p £1061 W j Hurley and 167p £1149 J Batchelor & Ptnrs.

In the dairy section Holstein Friesian 131p H O Champneys Ltd, 139p 143p 146p £1060 £1169 £1237 Huddlestone Farmers, 135p 131p £1083 £1070 P J Forknall and 134p £941 M S Clifford-Baynes.

Report on trade:

Report on trade:

Report on trade:

Report on trade: All very much stand on in this section to two weeks ago with the finished trade fair, cull pigs not really wanted and not enough stores to meet demand.

The best finished pigs made up to 121p per kg for a pen of 2 from S Scott & Son whose pigs grossed to £116, Brooker & Son  sold nice gilts to 113p and their heavier boars made £101, C B Hope sold leaner pigs to 103p and his run of 33 averaged £85.17. The rest of the offering generally made 70 to 100p.

Cull pigs saw only 5 forward – a heavy sow made 34p and £103 and a shapely boar 16p and £43.

Two pens of stores, saw a smart pen of young pigs from Ms M Godden make £35 and similar not the best bred to the las t sale made £10.

Next pig sales – Tuesdays 30^th June and 14^th and 28^th July at 9am with stores immediately following the finished and cull.

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

For Sale – large quantity of 2019 season gathered maize silage on a Romney Marsh farm

For Sale – 2002 livestock lorry with 25 ft container with sheep decks. Regularly used to date and with 10 months MOT. Genuine reason for sale. East Kent – phone 07850 518330

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 Royal Norfolk, Kent County, 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.

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

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