FARMING
By Neale McQuistin
Harrison & Hetherington Ltd sold 82 clean cattle, 62 cast cows, 1,741 prime lambs and 499 cast sheep at St Boswells yesterday.
There were 43 prime cattle presented at the firm’s annual Christmas show and sale which gave a welcome boost to prices and spirits.
Champion was a Limousin cross bullock which sold for 280p/kg, while the reserve champion made 275p. The 20 bullocks in the show averaged 247p and the 23 heifers levelled at 251p. One young bull sold for 182p.
There was a poorer show of cast cows in the rough ring this week which sold to £1,324 and 191p to average 128p (-10p).
Prime lambs peaked at £123 and 277p/kg for Beltex to average £95 or 216p overall (-1p).
Heavy cast ewes sold to a top of £115 for Texels and averaged £93 (-£6), while light ewes peaked at £113 for Cheviots and averaged £59 (-£3). All the cast sheep averaged £69 (-£8).
The firm also held its annual primestock show at Carlisle yesterday where vendors also enjoyed a brisk trade for cattle and sheep.
Twenty-two prime heifers peaked at 290p/kg and levelled at 236p (+41p), while 21 beef-bred bullocks sold to 259p and levelled at 230p (+25p).
Sixty beef-bred young bulls sold to 240p and averaged 191p (+5p), while 40 dairy-bred young bulls peaked at 207p and levelled at 157p (+8p).
In the rough ring 200 cast dairy cows sold to 169p to average 100p (+8p), while 100 cast beef cows peaked at 253p to average 138p (+19p).
Twelve cast bulls sold to 124p and levelled at 113p (+11p).
The 2027 prime lambs sold to £300 and 652p/kg to average 218/kg (+9p).
In the cast sheep section 90 heavy ewes peaked at £123 for a Texel and averaged £75 (-£7), while 49 hill ewes were topped at £81 for Blackfaces and averaged £42 (-£1).
Messrs Craig Wilson sold 2220 prime lambs and 376 cast sheep at Ayr yesterday.
Prime lambs were easy to cash again this week with a top price of £122 for a pen of Beltex. Top price per kilo was 250p for another pen of Beltex.
Blackface lambs sold to £95 or 218p, while Mules peaked at £95 on two occasions including a pen of 46. The whole sale averaged 213p/kg (+4p).
Cast sheep met the best trade seen for some time. Top price of £150 was paid for a Blue Texel ewe, while Texels sold to £139 and Suffolks to £120. Horned ewes were a flyer peaking at £75.
Caledonian Marts sold 286 store cattle at their fortnightly sale at Stirling yesterday. Bullocks sold to 245p/kg for Simmentals and averaged 205p, while heifers peaked at 237p and averaged 200p for Limousins.
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