FARMING
By Neale McQuistin
Harrison & Hetherington sold 72 clean cattle, 72 cast cows, 975 prime hoggets and 590 cast sheep at St Boswells yesterday.
Sixteen prime bullocks sold to 243p/kg and averaged 223p (+1p), while 55 prime heifers peaked at 256p to average 233p (+3p).
In the cast ring cows peaked at £1,412 and 211p to average 154p (n/c).
Prime hoggets peaked at £161 and 337p/kg for Beltex hoggs to average £118 (-£5) or 270p (-7p) overall.
Heavy cast sheep sold to a top of £153 for Suffolk tups and averaged £111 (+£13), while light ewes peaked at £113 for North Country Cheviots and averaged £84 (+£1).
The firm also sold 19 prime heifers at Carlisle yesterday which peaked at 264p/kg and levelled at 229p (+35p), while 27 beef-bred bullocks sold to 248p and levelled at 215p (-5p).
Sixty-one young beef-bred bulls peaked at 255p and averaged 196p (-1p), while 37 dairy-bred young bulls sold to 190p and levelled at 159p (-13p).
In the rough ring 234 cast dairy cows sold to 177p to average 112p (-7p), while 88 cast beef cows peaked at 262p to average 143p (-8p). Seven cast bulls sold to 147p to average 130p (+2p).
The 1,471 prime hoggs sold to £182 and 381p/kg to average 277p (+2p).
In the cast sheep section 129 heavy ewes peaked at £139 for a Texel to average £99 (+£19), while hill ewes sold to £69 for Blackfaces to level at £48 (+£2).
Messrs Craig Wilson sold 2,043 prime hoggets and 475 cast sheep at Ayr yesterday.
Hoggets were a plainer show for quality with well fleshed and heavy types still maintaining recent high rates, however lean and light weights would be harder to cash on the week.
The whole sale averaged 267p/kg (-5p).
Top prices were £134 and 319p/kg for the same pen of Beltex lambs which came over the sea from Rothesay.
There was a huge show of Blackface hoggets (834) which peaked at £131 for one pen and 278p for another large pen
of 107.
Cast sheep were a similar trade to last week but for a plainer show. They peaked at £161 for Texel ewes, while Blackfaces sold to £82.
C&D Auction Marts sold 262 store cattle at their fortnightly sale in Dumfries yesterday. A feature of the sale was a bullock which was sold for £1500 with the proceeds going to the ‘Joshua’s SDR Journey’ fundraiser.
Joshua is 7 years old and lives near Canonbie in Dumfriesshire. He needs a lifechanging operation which costs over £21K.
The 167 bullocks at the sale averaged 233p/kg and sold to 312p and £1500. The 89 heifers averaged 219p and peaked at 277p and £1320.
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