The world is going to produce lower volumes of high-yielding oilseeds - oilseed rape (OSR) and sunflower - this season according to the latest analysis by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board .
Despite this, OSR prices remain uninspiring for UK farmers, with global prices depressed by big supplies of soy beans.
Low crude oil prices, that are reducing the economics of free-market biodiesel blending, and plentiful supply are just two factors behind the price depression.
With oil content around the 40 per cent mark, the OSR price is more dependent on the value of the oil than soy beans, whose oil content is approximately 20 per cent.
Relative to prices for the other oilseed component, the protein meal, oil prices have fallen much faster - impacting high oil-yielding oilseeds the most.
Market round-up
Lawrie & Symington Ltd sold 384 pedigree Texel ram lambs in Lanark on Thursday to a top of 70,000gns for one from George Howie's Knock flock. That was followed by two bids at 32,00gns, first for one off David Houghton's Tophill flock and then for the best in Donald McPherson's Hexel consignment. At the end of the day's trading the sale average was £2313.64 (-£168.04 on the year).
Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 155 store heifers at Ayr on Thursday to a top of £1160 per head and 262.1p per kg to average £898.74 and 215.1p (+2.5p on the fortnight), while 252 store, beef-bred bullocks peaked at £1350 and 247.9p to level at £992.48 and 222p (+3.4p). One hundred store, B&W bullocks sold to £915 and 178.8p to average £751.45 and 159.4p (-2.2p).
The firm also had 1214 store lambs forward at their third lamb sale of the season that sold to £60.50 for Beltex, £60 for Texels, £58 for Suffolks, £47 for Mules and £42 for Blackfaces to average £54.12 overall (+£2.77 on the week).
The Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers Mart sold 2318 prime lambs in Longtown on Thursday to a top of £83 per head and 189p per kg to average 149.3p (+6.7p on the week).
There were also 5584 cast sheep forward when heavy ewes sold to £135 for Texels and averaged £65.53 (-£7.06), while light ewes peaked at £72 for Lleyns and levelled at £41.51 (+£2.17). Rams sold to £220 for a Charollais and averaged £85.25.
The firm went on to sell 2897 Scotch Mule gimmers in Dumfries yesterday to a top of £163 for a pen off Laight to average £123.11 (-£11 on the year), while 2525 Scotch Mule ewe lambs peaked jointly at £130 for Nisbet and Parkgatestone to level at £84.44 (-£17).
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel