THOSE ALL-IMPORTANT PRICES – MARKET

TALGARTH FEBRUARY 2

HOGGETS (1,188): A fantastic trade throughout with an SQQ of 201p/kg, which when considering the various sorts on offer, was quite staggering. Several end-of-the-run lambs forward, which would have hampered the average slightly. All of those good-meated export 40kg-plus types were 205p/ kg-plus, topping at 221p/kg for a pen of 42.5kg lambs from Messrs Eckley, Fforddfawr. There was certainly a premium for those 40kg-plus lambs and those heavier types, but there seems to be a significant shortage of those 45kg-plus lambs. CULL EWES (225): A much better entry of ewes with a much stronger average, with ewes topping at £119/hd. All those good-meated and framed ewes in terrific demand and those little Welsh ewes significantly better.

MONMOUTHSHIRE FEBRUARY 5

HOGGETS: 490 Tegs to a fantastic trade to average 203.88 over 30p dearer than this week last year. Medium weights 39-45kg, levelling at 212.36p/kg to a top of 224p/kg (89.50-40kg) from RJ Lewis & Son. IA Lewis at 219p/kg (£89.80-41kg), JH Davies also 219p/kg (£94.20-43kg), BL Hughes & J Carr (£9041.4kg), ML Thomas (£86.80- 40kg), P Thomas & Son (£86.20-39.7kg) and RJ Morgan (£88-40.5kg) all at 217p/kg. Heavyweights to 214p/kg (£100-46.7kg) frpm MRI Whistance Ltd, 211p/kg (£98.50-46.7kg) from IA Lewis and 210p/kg (£100-47.7kg) from JO & P Jones & Son. Top price per head at £102 for 50kg from Tregare Farm Ltd, with the £100 barrier also being broken by L Faulkner (62.5kg), RJ Morgan (54kg), MRI Whistance Ltd (55kg), JO & P Jones & Son (52.2kg), Smith (55.5kg). Lighter weights to 215p/kg (£79.80-37.1kg) IA Lewis, 213p/kg (£76.50-36kg) DA & WA Stone and 212p/kg (£78.50-37kg) T & D Merchant. Under 30kg weights also much improved to 187p/kg (£55.20-29.5kg) P Thomas & Son and 185p/kg (£50- 27kg) from C Davies. CULL SHEEP: 93 forward to meet a flying trade. Cull rams to £100 for Charollais from TC Jones, with ewes to £95 for Continental Xs from DA & WA Stone. R Powell and R Morgan sold rams to £88. Goats to £59.50 from Wallis Farm Ltd. STORE SHEEP: 118 forward with another super-fast trade. Top-selling from Messrs Stride & Deathe, peaking at £71 for a quality pen of wether lambs. Mrs ME Green selling to £48.

WHITLAND FEBRUARY 6

DAIRY (219): A notable entry of dairy cattle including a consignment of 10 top-quality heifers from the Clynderwen Herd, a freshly calved heifer from Cilfeithy Farm Services and the dispersal of the most impressive Trefgarn herd of Gerallt and Sarah Miles, Home Farm, Treffgarne. The Clynderwen heifers got proceedings started with 10 upstanding heifers that sold to a top of £1,800 for Clynderwen Rocco Kelly. A super-charged commercial heifer from Rhys Jones, Cilfeithy Farm Services, sold at £1,720 and Clynderwen heifers also sold at £1,720 and £1,700 and averaged £1,487 for the 10 heifers. Two dairy bulls were also forward, with a good Pedigree Shorthorn Bull from Lanfro sold at £700 and Churchvale Alfie sold at £1,550. Top price of the day was for Trefgarn Garrett Floss VG85 (ASR). She was the foundation cow of this family line and at 85pts it will be a cow family to maintain for generations to come. She sold at £2,200. Other leading prices were £1,850 for Trefgarn Drayman Enid GP83, £1,820 for Trefgarn Ponder Will VG85 and £1,800 for Trefgarn Zoro ADA VG87 and Trefgarn Topshot Shower. CALVES (57): A larger entry of calves on the week. Black and white bull calves got to a high of £70, while top bull calf price was £220 for a Simmental from regular supporter Roberts, Brynaeron. Top price of the day was for a Hereford weaned bull calf at £540. A nice entry of Shorthorn heifer calves from the Ashgrove herd sold well, getting to a high of £200. FAT LAMBS (301): The surge in the lamb trade has brought out more numbers and Whitland prices are as strong as anywhere. Top prices got to 222ppk and £98.50/head. Lambs averaged a whopping £84/head throughout. Light lambs (32.1-39.0) max. 222p/kg (£86.50) ave. 188.25p/kg Standard lambs (39.1-45.5) max. 208p/kg (£93.50) ave. 195.25p/kg Heavy lambs (45.6-52.0) max. 201p/kg (£98.50) ave. 188.84p/kg CULL EWES (123): Similar entry to the week before and the best ewes sold at a very notable premium. Overall average of £70/head and top price of £114 from James, Tycoch, Llandissilio.

KNIGHTON FEBRUARY 8

Last Thursday vendors of both tegs and cull ewes were rewarded with an excellent trade. Hoggets averaged 205.87p/kg with a top of 218p and £110/ hd. Cull ewes sold to a top of 94 and averaged £55.26.

FEBRUARY 9

Another superb trade on the cattle and hoggets last Friday, with a total clearance effected. Both steers and heifers averaged over £1,000/hd and store hoggets sold to a top of £88 and averaged just under £70/hd.

CARDIGAN FEBRUARY 12

FAT HOGGETS (174): A small entry sold to a fast trade, with an overall average of £2/kg. Topping at 209p were 41k from Howells, 5 Kensington Street, and 49k hoggets from Drage, Penfai Farm, sold to £98/hd. STORE HOGGETS (34): Peaked at £80 for 45k from Davies, Cwmporthman; £75.20 for 37k from Phillips & Sons, Tredafydd Isaf; £74 for 41.5k from Davies, Rhydiau. EWES AND LAMBS (6): A small entry sold to £90 for a ewe with a single lamb from Sacco, Parcyneithw. CULL SHEEP (31): The best types reached £86 for a ewe from James, Newton East, who also sold ewes at £73; £85 for a ewe from James, Ffynnonwen; £70 for ewes from Howells, 5 Kensington Street; £70 for rams from Finucane, Pencoed Farm. CALVES (42): Topping at £285 was a BB bull from Davies, Dyffryn Farm, who also sold another BB at £275; other leading prices at £190 for a BB bull from Emerald Grove Farms Ltd, Gelliorlas; £162 for a Hereford bull from Davies, Dyffryn. The best black and white bull calves reached £114 for a Friesian from Lloyd, Tegfan; £112 for a Friesian from Thomas, Cilau Farm; £110 for a Friesian from Jenkins & Rees Cyf, Trefere Fawr.