THOSE ALL-IMPORTANT PRICES

TALGARTH APRIL 7 HOGGETS AND CULL EWES: A much brighter trade than many thought to see, with an SQQ of 184p/kg topping at 205p/kg for a pen of 44kg from Eckley Farms, Fforddfawr. Another pen from G Williams, Upper Sgynlas, made 202p/kg for a pen of 44.5kg. Any amount of pens 190p/kg to 200p/kg. All those good 44kg to 48kg hoggs were making £84/hd to £91/hd – in fact the 45kg to 52kg lambs averaged £86/hd (140 in number). Lambs topped at £91/hd for a pen of 46kg from DP & PM Beavan, Plascelyn. SPRING LAMBS: A lovely entry of springers was exceptionally well sold, topping at 237p/kg for a pen of 38.5kg lambs from AH Jones, Glandwr, that made £105/hd. All spingers over £100/hd with an overall average of 255p/kg. CRYMYCH APRIL 12 CULL SHEEP: Another good entry saw a flying trade topping at £134 for meated ewes from Harries, Upper Coxhill Farm, with rams reaching £130 from Griffiths, Long House. This time last year there were 817 cull sheep entered and the top price was £127/hd. STORE HOGGETS: A few less hoggets forward in comparison to last mart, but there was keen demand which saw a top price of £97/hd from Thomas & Son, Maes-Y-Meillion, the overall average was at £51/hd. Looking back to this time last year, there were 400 hoggets entered with prices peaking at £81.50. EWE & LAMB COUPLES AND IN-LAMB EWES: An improved entry of couples saw the best outfits top at £170 for 4 yr olds with twins from Owen, 22 Crugyn Dimai. The same vendor also sold other 4 yr olds with twins at £168, £165 for a 2/3 year old with twins, £162 for a 4 yr old with twins, £160 for a 3yr old with twins, £155 for a 3 yr old with twins; £140 for a FM with twins from Rees, Tymawr. In-lamb ewes sold to £80 from Gethin, Cnwcymorfil. WHITLAND APRIL 11 DAIRY: The Whitland trade was more than respectable in the current climate, with cows getting to £1,280 and in-calf heifers to £1,240. Quality youngstock will sell well with bulling heifers getting to £560, younger maidens to £400 and heifer calves selling to £170 from the Aberlleine dispersal. CALVES: Another decent entry of over 100 calves and weaned calves at Whitland and a good trade for all rearing calves. The black and white trade took a slight dent, with some outlets not able to take them with the bank holiday looming. Averaging only £26 but getting to highs of £200 and £165 for the better ones. The beef trade remained brisk, however, with tops of £530 for Hereford steer calves and £590 for a Simmental heifer. FAT LAMBS: A much improved entry with new season averaging 212p/kg to highs of 222p/kg (£91) and old season holding firm at 174p/kg average and top of 184p/kg (£86.50). CULL EWES: The good trade is bringing cull ewes in droves and the best prices exceeding the £100 mark, regularly getting to top of £115 for ewes from Law, Alltgaredig, who also sold top-price ram at £119. CARDIGAN APRIL 10 FAT HOGGETS: An improved entry saw a top price p/ kg of 200p for 39k from Davies Bros, Trefere Uchaf, while 47k hogs from Williams, Henfeddau, topped at £88.20/hd. The overall average was at 185p/kg. STORE HOGGETS: Peaking at £80.80 were 46.5k from Davies, Troedrhiw Fach, who also sold 40k at £73; £66 for 35k from Roberts, Tirion Isaf. SPRING LAMBS: A surprisingly good entry saw the majority of the lambs being over 45k, topping at 220p were handy weight Charollais lambs weighing 42k from Hughes, Bronwydd; while the day’s top price of £100 was achieved for a 46k lamb from Roberts, Parke. CULL SHEEP: A much improved entry of sheep saw the best meated ewes top at £95 from Linfoot, Bigni, who also sold at £86.50; other leading prices at £94 from Evans, Cwmarch; £92.50 from Young, Penffynnon, who also sold at £89; £89 from Jenkins, Tyhen; £87 from Bowen, Gwyndy; £85 from Davies, Pant-Y-Gelli; £83.50 from Davies, Alltgoch. EWE & LAMB COUPLES: Another quality entry of ewes and lambs saw a top price of £210 for a FM with twins from Jones, Frongelyn, who also sold FM ewes with twins at £180, 3yr olds with singles at £170, yearling and a single at £168 and a FM with twins at £160. CALVES: The best beef bred calves sold to £355 for a Hereford bull from Thomas, Glandwr Ceibwr, who also sold another Hereford bull at £345 and Hereford heifers at £345 and £330; other leading prices at £235 for a BB heifer from Davies, Wallaston Farm, who also sold BB bulls at £215 and £190; £200 for a BB heifer from Thomas, Cilau Ganol. The best dairy bred bull calves sold to £76 for a FR from Pensarnddu Fach Ltd, Pensarnddu. MONMOUTHSHIRE APRIL 10 OLD SEASON’S LAMBS: A very large entry of 1,097, on a day when large entries were forward nationwide, saw another clearance but with a varying trade giving an SQQ of 170.87p/kg. Light tegs in short supply to a very good trade including 187p/kg (£53-28.3kg) MRW Johnson; 186p/kg (£54-29kg) IG Watkins & Co. Well finished 40-43kg up to and over 180p including 183p/ kg (£79-43.2kg) MR Smith; 180p/kg (£74-41kg) JL Williams and (£76.50-42.5kg) MJ Morgan. Top price per head of £85.50 (54.5kg) JL Williams. NEW SEASON’S LAMBS: The Easter Lamb Show and Sale drew a tremendous quality entry of springers, with Champion Pen awarded toH&RLeyshon,w hose grand pen of Suffolks sold for £126 (341p/kg) to Judge Wayne Randall. First prize in the heavyweights going to RT Watkins (£111-39kg), the same vendor selling second prize lights (£91-34.5kg). Third in the light section (£90-35kg) SC Powell; Second prize heavies (£98.50-42 kg)H&RLeysh on; Third prize (£99-39 kg) also from RT Watkins. A strong Easter trade throughout saw 276 lambs levelling at 246.66p/kg to a sharp clearance and 14 pens in excess of £100. Best competition for Texel X lambs of 40kg & under, with a top price per kilo for 40kg weights at 285p/kg (£114) from S Price. CULL SHEEP: Another great entry and flying trade throughout. Ewes sold to a top of £117 for a Texel from RT Watkins. TL Prichard sold Charollais ewes to £109, RT Watkins sold Suffolks at £108. Tudor Harris sold Texels to £105 and Suffolks to £102. Numerous other ewes between £90 and £100, overall average of £67.49, including the very lean at £10-£20/head. Rams to average £81.33/head and to a max of £95. COUPLES: An improved entry of couples included a superb consignment from P & LK Phillips, Dingestow. These sold to a top of £172 per couple for two full mouth ewes and four lambs (£57.33/life). Another two ewes with two lambs sold to £125 (£62.50/life) from the same home.