THOSE ALL-IMPORTANT PRICES – MARKET REPORTS

NEWCASTLE EMLYN

JUNE 1

Dai Lewis Auctioneers report an improved entry forward with new season lambs maintaining a strong run again this week. Lambs peaked at 232p/kg, selling to a maximum of £98.50. We urge farmers to sell the lambs to take advantage of this brisk trade. Lambs levelled at 225p/kg. Hoggs sold to £80.00. Ewes saw another strong entry with plenty of quality forward. Ewes sold to £94 with plenty over the £85 mark. Overall average stood at £68.97.

CARDIGAN

MAY 29

SPRING LAMBS (227): An improved entry of spring lambs saw the best-meated continental types reach 237p/kg for 40.5k farm-assured lambs from Evans & Co, Pantirion (£95.80); while 50k farm-assured lambs from Davies, Alltgoch, sold to a top of £102.50/head. The overall average was at 222p/kg. This time last year there were over 400 lambs on offer and the average was at 183p/kg. HOGGETS (55): There were some quality hoggets on offer which saw a top of £89.20 for 45.5k from Raymond, Longhouse Farm, who also sold 54k at £88 and 44.5k at £85; £85 for 44.5k from Morris, Tyriet. CULL SHEEP (211): A good entry of ewes peaked at £94 for a ewe from Webb, Cefn, who also sold further ewes at £85; not far behind at £93 was a ram from Severs, Gelli Isaf Farm; £94 for a ewe from Owens, Rhyderwen; £88.50 for ewes from James, Llysowen; £85 for ewes from Morgan, Pencefn; £84 for a ewe from Edwards, Clover Hill; £79 for a ewe from Davies, Cwmporthman; £78.50 for a ewe from Phillips, Trefwrdan Uchaf, who also sold other ewes at £76. EWES AND LAMBS (5): A small entry of ewes and lambs peaked at £130 from Severs, Gelli Isaf Farm, who also sold from £110 to £124. CALVES (20): A smaller entry than expected saw a Hereford bull calf from Thomas, Cilau Farm, reach £302; other leading prices at £265 for a BB bull from Pensarnddu Fach Ltd, Pensarnddu Fach, who also sold another BB bull at £238 and a BB heifer at £222; £210 for a Hereford heifer from Davies, Blaenmeini Farm. The best dairy-bred calves peaked at £105 for a Friesian from Pensarnddu Fach Ltd, Pensarnddu Fach; £68 for a H/Fr from Davies Cyf, Canllefaes.

WHITLAND

MAY 30

DAIRY (59): The dispersal of the entire dairy herd from David and Janet Evans, Glancleddau, Dwrbach, brought a good crowd of eager buyers that provided a fast trade for good, hardy, long-lasting British Friesian cows. Top price of the day was £1,720 for a January calved heifer followed by a freshly calved heifer at £1,600. The £1,000 mark was surpassed regularly for a herd comprising cows aging up to their 10th lactation. An overall average of £923 was achieved. Three breeding bulls were presented with a two-year-old Hereford bull selling at £820, a British Friesian (non-pedigree) at £1,250 and a Red & White Holstein bull, Lyganlan Roj Red, sold at £1,200. CALVES (72): Less calves forward on the week but the quality was good and the trade very sturdy. Best heifer calf sold to £430 from Thomas Ltd, Plas Farm, and the best bull calf, also from Plas Farm, got to £535. Dairy bull calves averged £74/head to a top of £335 also from Plas Farm. FAT LAMBS (467): A much-increased number of lambs forward, returning an average price of 218ppk and a high of 251ppk from Morgan, Myrtle Farm. The heavier weights got over £100 on more than one occasion and top price of £104 was achieved for 48 kilo lambs from Rogers, Gilfachwen. CULL EWES (207): More ewes brought more of a mixed quality and an overall average of £56/head to a top of £85 from Roberts, Parke.

BRECON

MAY 26

STORE CATTLE (944): A record entry for a May sale on the hottest day of the year to date. Steers averaged £1,026 per head and an incredible 235p/kg and heifers £927/head and 224p/kg. Some of the younger medium-range steers were certainly a more difficult trade, as fewer men needed grazing cattle. However the best-bred types and the stronger steers were certainly no less money and this was the same for the heifers and some buyers still struggled to buy what they desired. We had a superb run of 50 steers from the Davies Family, Eistedffa Fawr, which topped at 335p/kg to average £1,046 and 290p/kg on a run of 10-month-old steers, while at the top end Mr EA Davies & Son, Upper Court Farm, averaged £1,234 on a superb run of strong steers. We also had some show potential cattle from TE Jones & Co, Bailea, who sold a young steer with great potential at £2,400 to the Black and Blue Show Team from Leominster, while Mr Powell, Penyrheol, sold a steer for £2,050. Again, the Rees Family from Pencrug also rang the bell with 31 cattle at 12 months, mainly heifers averaging £1,065. BREEDING BULLS: There was a section for breeding bulls and we had eight, some quality types forward with an excellent Bull from TA Hughes – five years of age – making £2,500, while a Blue Bull from Mr Thomas, Ruthyn Fawr, made £2,600 and another £2,000. Demand was strong and it seems there are still several men looking for a good bull. CULL COWS (64): There is no shortage of demand for well-fleshed cows and they again exceeded £1,500, with the best topping at £1,660 and averaging £1,004 with plenty of well-meated cows easily sold. The overall average was 150p/kg.

MONMOUTHSHIRE

JUNE 5

NEW SEASON’S LAMBS: A quality entry of 1,030 lambs to meet a scorching trade and rapid clearance. Once again a real shortage of weight on offer and as a result the best sorts flying to 266p/kg and a maximum of £115.50 from JJ Greenow & Sons. Texels from AE & BD Davies reached £113.50 for 44.7kg. JR Williams sold to £112.50 for 43.5kg Texels. Numerous other pens over £100. In terms of p/pg 1,012 lambs sold to an average of 245.58p/kg with a maximum of 266p/kg. HOGGETS: 98 forward to a top of 184p/kg and £96 per head from MK Griffiths and VA O’Callaghan (52.5kg). S Thompson sold to £95/head for 55kg. CULL SHEEP: 159 Culls to a brighter trade with cross-bred ewes to £90 from RT Watkins. Suffolks to £89.50 from Williams & Wigley. Texel rams to £106.50 and £104. Blue faced Leicester rams to £93. Toothers to £80 from S Thompson. STORE SHEEP: Welsh ewes with singles at £65 and £60 from FJ Howells. PIGS: A short entry of just 52 pigs saw a very strong trade to a large company of buyers. Sows peaking at £230 from D Jones and £215 from DJ Van Poucke and averaging £166.25. Gilts to £70 and boar pigs to £60 both from J Williams.