THOSE ALL-IMPORTANT PRICES

BRECON NOVEMBER 24

STORE CATTLE (441): We had some tremendous cattle from all parts of Wales, including north Wales, with Edwards brothers from Pencraig showing 33 steers which topped at £1,430 and averaged an incredible £1,328 per head, while a local vendor, TM & EA Powell, Penyrheol, who was at the end of the sale, topped at £1,510 and averaged £1,4221 on his cattle. The quality types were a premium trade and many more could have been sold to advantage. The steers averaged £1,120 even without the show cattle and 232p/kg for a yard of strong foreword types, while heifers averaged £980/head and 220p/kg reflecting the types on offer. CULL COWS: A record-breaking trade, with a cull cow from EA Davies & Son, Upper Court Farm, making £2,240 and reaching 240p/kg. The overall average was 155p/kg and £1,067 per head to include some specials at £310.

TALGARTH NOVEMBER 24

SPRING LAMBS (1,099): Another good show of lambs, with plenty of quality and meat on offer. An SQQ of 173p/kg attained, which would be 5p/kg up on the national SQQ at the beginning of the week. Those well-fleshed export types were in excellent demand, with plenty of lambs in excess of 180p/kg. Lambs topped at 198p/kg for a pen of 42.5kg and 43kg lambs from Messrs Eckley, Fforddfawr, and Messr HC Edwards & Sons, Maesgwynne. All weights in slightly stronger demand, even the smalls, and it is envisaged that the lighter weights will be wanted still further as we run up towards Christmas. CULL EWES (425): An excellent entry of cull ewes and not surprising considering the recent trades here at Talgarth. A varied selection on offer but all well sold and with an average of £58.20. Ewes topped at £94.50/ hd for a pen of ewes from Price Bros, Tyleheulog, with plenty between £80/hd and £90/hd. All types in strong demand but particularly those strong-framed Suffolk and Continental types. Plenty of hill-bred plain ewes forward, but it’s envisaged that these will firm as numbers dwindle.

CARDIGAN NOVEMBER 27

PRIME LAMBS (132): A disappointing entry saw the best-meated types reach 179p/kg for 43.5k and £81/ head for 48k, the overall average was at 165p/kg. CULL SHEEP (27): Peaking at £70 were ewes from Fferm Garreglwyd, Garreglwyd, who also sold at £58. CALVES (69): Reaching £225 was a Hereford bull from Owens, Argoed, who also sold another Hereford bull at £195; other leading prices at £222 for a Hereford bull from Williams, Treale; £212 for a BB bull from Griffiths, Aberbrwynen Farm; £185 for a Hereford bull from Bevan, Penymynydd Mawr; £185 for a BB heifer from Thomas & Son, Ffynnonwen. The best black and white bull calves peaked at £112 for a H/Fr from Pedran Holsteins Ltd, Tymawr Farm, who also sold at £108; £108 for a Fr from Davies, Maesgwyn; £106 for a H/Fr from Lloyd, Tegfan.

MONMOUTHSHIRE NOVEMBER 29

FINISHED LAMBS: 11 different buyers competing on 1,444 lambs to average 171.83p/kg overall on a sharp clearance. Strong demand for lambs over 40kg saw 39-45kg lambs averaging 179.38p/kg, with a top of 192p/kg (£74.20-43kg) from S Taylor. Heavier weights to 182p/kg (£85-46.8kg) from OTW Chandler & Co. Top price per head £90.50 (54kg) also from OTW Chandler & Co. Top price on the day 202p/kg (£66.50-33kg) from HM Green. CULL SHEEP: 527 cull sheep sold to a fast trade and total clearance. Top of £100 for a Texel X to £98 from MRI Whistance. The top end £80-plus, mediums £65-£75 to include most mules in this category. A strong entry of rams sold to a terrific trade. STORE LAMBS: 396 store lamb sold to a fantastic trade. A smart run of medium and longer-term Texel X Charollais lambs from AC Smith & Son sold to £67. REARING CALVES: 58 young calves met a mixed trade, although generally better than last week. Fewer Blue bulls and a couple of heifers exceeded £300, with the top bull making £400 for Price & Co. Similarly, the top Blue Heifers raised £350 for VJ Thomas & Son. STRONG CALVES: Just a small entry from AR Edwards & Son with 2-3 month Blue bulls £450-£475. 2½ month Blue Heifer £300. BREEDING CATTLE: An entry of good-quality cows and calves sold to a strong trade, with a top of £2,020 for a six-year-old Limousin cow (Pd’d in calf ) and her nine-month-old steer from WG Thomas, Caerleon. STIRKS/ YOUNG STORES: A reduced entry of young cattle again selling to a strong trade. HT & DS Brown sold a super run of young Limousin cattle, which topped the section at £840 for two Limousin steers. FEEDING BULLS: Nine forward with top selling at £720 for a six-month-old Limousin from WN Walters & Sons. STORE CATTLE: A shorter entry of 197 store cattle forward, selling to a sharper trade throughout. Well-fleshed cattle easily sold, with the‘colder’types still trailing behind but certainly dearer on the week. A lack of real strength throughout pushed the feeding sorts up and peaked at £1,215 (545kg-19m) for Charolais crosses from RA Bennetts, Penhow. Blonde crosses from AJ Heath, Llandenny, sold to £1,185 (635kg-24m) & (630kg-24m). RA Bennetts, Penhow, sold Charolais crosses to £1,175 (510kg-18m). Younger wintering types peaked at £1,105 (540kg-18m) for Limousin crosses from DA & WA Stone. CULL CATTLE: Another very strong trade apparent on all sorts and competitive bidding throughout. Top prices by breed with Angus cows to £1,100 from AP & C Morgan. British Blues to £1,100 from R Workman. Limousins to £1,080 from MW Clatworthy. Simmentals to £1,030 from WT & JM Probert.

NEWCASTLE EMLYN NOVEMBER 30

Another seasonal entry forward with lambs selling briskly up on last week and selling on par with national trends. The top end sold up to 173p/kg with many heavyweight lambs forward topping at £85. A mixture of store lambs sold to £72. Ewes maintained a strong run, with a pen full of ewes reaching £89.00. All ewes levelled at £59.79.

KNIGHTON DECEMBER 1

An entry of 963 store lambs met an exceptional trade, well up on last sale, and many more could have been sold. There was a total clearance. The store cattle were also a good solid trade, with the averages returned reflecting the overall quality on offer. Last Thursday we penned and sold some 1,329 finished lambs and 379 cull ewes. Lambs have improved and averaged 176.52 pence per kilo and cull ewes sold to a top of £126 and averaged £52.97.