FARMING

By Neale McQuistin

C&D Auctions sold 56 cattle at its weekly sale of primestock in Dumfries yesterday.

Prime cattle met a competitive trade with Limousin cross heifers selling to 245p/kg, while Galloway bullocks made up to 232p/kg.

OTM cattle sold to £1,289 and 198p/kg for Aberdeen Angus cows, while Galloways peaked at £1,098 and 191p. Holsteins sold to £792 and 102p.

There were also 1,001 prime lambs in Dumfries. Top prices were 253p/kg on two occasions for lighter lambs and £105 for heavy Texels. The average price of the 407 lambs which weighed between 39 and 45kg was 217p/kg.

The 510 cast ewes sold to £130 for heavy Texels and £74 for Blackfaces.

Messrs Craig Wilson sold 1,358 prime lambs at Newton Stewart yesterday to average 211p/kg (+4p). Export weights were still the best to sell with top price per kilo going to lightweight Texels at 235p/kg. Top price per head of £106 was achieved for heavyweight Texels cross Rousins. This week the 219 Blackface prime lambs at the sale sold to average 208p (+3p). They were topped at £95 for a pen of heavy weights or at 217p/kg for another pen.

All classes of cast sheep would be dearer on the week topping at £105 for Texel cross ewes. Mule ewes sold to £84, while Hill ewes peaked at £76 for a pen of Cheviots.

The firm also sold 40 prime cattle at Ayr on Tuesday which included their Christmas Fatstock Show and Sale.

Judge Trevor Beckett opted for a home-bred Limousin cross heifer shown by Shona and Alan Stevenson, Carbello and Sunnyside Farm, Cumnock to be presented with the champion rosette. She scaled at 555kg and sold at 370p/kg or £2053 to Norman Hall’s butchers business WM Frasers, Stranraer. Reserve champion was a red Limousin cross steer that weighed 660kg and sold at 260p or £1716 to Cairnhill Farms, Quality Meat Wholesalers, Old Dailly.

Young Farmers champion was awarded to James Hodge, Dykes Farm, Auchinleck for his home-bred Limousin cross steer – he weighed in at 655kg and sold at 265p or £1,735 to J Climie, Butchers, West Kilbride.

Caledonian Marts sold 1,932 prime lambs and cast sheep at its weekly sale at Stirling on Tuesday. There was a large demand for 38kg-42kg lambs with the overall average for the 1,447 lambs coming in at 208p/kg.

Texels lambs topped the trade per kilo at 249p, while a pair of Beltex were top price per head at £117.

The 485 cast sheep were dearer across all classes. Heavy ewes averaged £92 selling to £186 for a pen of three Texels. Export ewes averaged £60 selling to £94 for Cheviots.