THOSE ALL-IMPORTANT PRICES

KNIGHTON JUNE 1/2

An entry of 180 store cattle which met a good trade throughout on all types of cattle. The yearling cattle on offer were an exceptional trade, as were an entry of organic Hereford X steers and heifers. A good entry of 380 finished lambs with seven bidders in total. A good trade again on all types, including some 32 kilo Welsh X lambs. They returned an overall average of 238p/kg, selling up to 247p/kg and £105.20 per head. The cull ewes were back slightly due to the festival fasting, but still resulted in an overall average of £48 up to £110, which included quite a few Welsh ewes.

NEWCASTLE EMLYN JUNE 8

Dai Lewis Cyf Auctioneers report another improved entry forward this week, with another cracking trade with plenty of lambs crossing the £100 mark. Lambs peaked at £103.50, 237p/kg. All lambs levelled at 225p/kg, better than other outlets this week. Less ewes and rams forward this week. Trade held firm throughout, with rams selling to the highest price of £85. All culls levelled at £59.32.

CARDIGAN JUNE 5

PRIME LAMBS (362): More lambs were seen this week and the quality on offer did not disappoint, reaching 223p/kg were handy weight lambs from Evans & Co, Pantirion, which later sold for £89/head. Heavyweight lambs, again from Evans & Co, Pantirion, reached £97/ head and a good run of lambs from Raymond, Longhouse Farm, ensured buyer satisfaction. STORE LAMBS (5): A small entry saw 33k lambs from Young, Wernglyd, sell at £52. STORE HOGGETS (20): A top price of £66 was achieved for 65k from Webster Farms, Nantyrefail, who also sold 45k at £63/head. CULL SHEEP (201): A very good entry of cull sheep saw a top price of £92 for a ram from Jones, Trefach, who also sold another ram at £78; the best ewes sold to £86.50 from Jones, Rhydygofaint, who also sold other ewes at £79.50 and £79; £85 for a ewe from Thomas, Hendy, who also sold at £82; £78 for ewes from Fletcher, Penrallt Uchaf; £78 for ewes from Notley, Weirglodd; £78 for a ewe from George & Son, Goitre Farm. EWE AND LAMB COUPLES (6): A small entry from Thomas, Plaspaun, topped at £150. BARREN COWS & STORE CATTLE (31): The best cows sold to £980 for a 740k H/Fr from Jones & Co, Trewenfron, who also sold a 680k Fr at £960; £920 for a 740k Fr from Williams, Ffrwdwenith Uchaf. A pair of 24-25m H/Fr steers from Lewis, Morfa Uchaf, topped at £935, the same farmer also sold other H/Fr steers from 22-25m at £915 and £770; £760 for a 27m Hereford steer from Morris, Tyriet, who also sold a 27m Lim steer at £725 and a pair of 27m Hereford heifers at £705; £700 for a 24m BB bull from Williams, Blaenbarre; £540 for 15-16m H/Fr from Sollis, Ffynnonddofn. CALVES (48): A BB bull calf peaked at £308 from Williams & Sons, Cilcert Farm, who also sold Lim bulls at £250 and £202 and BB heifers at £225, £210, £208 and a Limousin heifer at £195; other leading prices at £230 for a Lim bull from Davies Cyf, Canllefaes Uchaf; £215 for an AA bull from Davies, Pantswllt, who also sold another AA bull at £180. A number of good rearing black and white calves were seen, which topped at £150 for a Fr from Davies, Rhydymaen, who also sold others from £135 to £105; £94 for a H/Fr from Emerald Grove Farms Ltd, Gelliorlas, who also sold at £90 and £88.

MONMOUTHSHIRE JUNE 7

NEW SEASON’S LAMBS: 1,945 lambs with a continuing outstanding trade on stronger sorts, with medium weights averaging 246.29p/kg, to a top price of 270p/kg (£116.80- 43.2kg) for Blue Texels from Messrs WL & A Windsor, best heavyweights all over £110, including: TJ Forward (£116- 49.2kg); AG & J Leonard (£115.50-49kg); PC Jenkins (£115- 46kg); RJ Davies (£112-44.5kg), EA & RE Bowyer (£111.2045.7kg). CULL SHEEP: 724 cull sheep forward with a very large entry of Welsh & Hillbred ewes, which sold to a fantastic trade. These regularly traded between £55-£60. The best ewes were £90-plus, Suffolk X to £100 from SG Morgan, Texel X £93.50 from CG Ball and £93 from JV & RJ Williams. Plenty of demand on the smaller/medium ewes, with very little under £40. Rams to £105 from J & RG Morris and £90 from C Alford. Toothers sold to £66 from JA Lewis. STORE SHEEP/COUPLES: A small entry of couples forward topped at £110 for Speckled ewes with single Suffolk lambs from WM Evans. Ewe hoggs with single lambs to £109 from TS Bowen. Welsh ewes with lambs generally £30-£40/life. REARING CALVES: A large entry with 65 calves on offer with again many of the very highest quality pushing price to new levels. BREEDING CATTLE: Just one outfit forward today, a Limousin cow (65m) and her Charolais heifer calf (27d) selling for £1,400 for DJ Williams, Crumlin. STIRKS/YOUNG STORES: A reduction in numbers, 34 forward, but no reduction in prices. A fierce trade from the start, with Miss J Cowen selling an 11mo Charolais steer at £905. SD Bevan sold an 11m Limousin at £830 and AJ Merrick another at £755. Charolais heifers from IM Thomas (9-10m) sold to £760 and AJ Merrick to £745 for a 7m Limousin. FEEDING BULLS: 11 bulls forward to a top of £980 for a Simmental bull (18m) from WJM Rees & Son, Clyne. HJ, AV & GP Watkins, Llangorse sold Limousin bulls (23-24m) at £820. STORE CATTLE: A short entry of 121 store cattle forward selling to extreme rates and the dearest trade of the year. A bullish finished cattle trade and an abundance of grass is giving producers plenty of confidence to reinvest. CULL CATTLE: 40 forward and another flying trade on all types, with 16 Grade 1 Beef averaging a tremendous £1,051.

WHITLAND JUNE 6

CALVES (46): A good entry of calves where quality was concerned and another solid trade. Bull calves got to £212 for a British Blue from Davies, Tirwaun, and heifers topped at £550 for Simmental heifer from Hughes, The Dingle. Friesian bull calves averaged £75 and topped at £110 from Thomas, Blaentidwell. FAT LAMBS (173): Less lambs forward but a good trade that saw top prices over £100 on numerous occasions to a high of £105.50 from Vaughan, Upper Farm. Top price per kilo was 247ppk from Davies, Maesyrhedydd, and an overall average of 212ppk was seen. CULL EWES (98): Less ewes forward sold to an average of £58 and top of £85.50 from Perkins, Gwyndy.