Farming

By Neale McQuistin

Harrison & Hetherington Ltd sold 88 clean cattle, 47 cast cows, 834 prime hoggs and 728 cast sheep at St Boswells yesterday.

Twenty-four prime bullocks sold to 280p/kg to average 247p (+6p), while 62 prime heifers peaked at 295p to average 251p (-11p). Two prime young bulls sold to £1,251.

In the cast ring cows peaked at £1,589 and 207p to average 157p (+5p). One cast bull sold for £1,190 or 119p.

In the sheep ring prime hoggs sold to £169 and 347p/kg for Beltex to average £126 or 269p (+12p).

Heavy cast sheep sold to £173 for Texel ewes to average £131, while light ewes peaked at £137 for North Country Cheviots to average £96.

The firm also sold 27 prime heifers at Carlisle yesterday that peaked at 272p/kg to average 230p (-9p), while 21 beef-bred, bullocks sold to 268p and levelled at 236p (-4p).

Fifty-five, beef-bred, young bulls peaked at 276p and averaged 231p (+11p) while 16, dairy-bred, young bulls sold to 208p and levelled at 182p (n/c).

In the rough ring 83 cast beef cows peaked at 260p to average 157p (+8p), while 211 cast dairy cows sold to 196p to average 123p (+2p). Fourteen cast bulls sold to 195p to average 156p (+24p).

There were also 1,467 prime hoggs that sold to £156 or 390p/kg to average 267p (+3p). Lowland cast sheep (86) sold to £156 for a Texel to average £114 (n/c), while 33 hill ewes peaked at £131 for a Hill Cheviot to level at £75 (+£4).

Caledonian Marts Ltd sold 311 store cattle at their fortnightly sale at Stirling yesterday.

Bullocks averaged 216p/kg, selling to 269p for a pen of Limousins and to £1,370 for a pen of Aberdeen Angus. Heifers averaged 214p, selling to 245p for a pen of Limousins and to £1,230 for another pen of Limousins. Black & Whites sold to 198p and to £1,130.

The firm also sold 706 store hoggs to a top price of £109 for Texels with short keep types seeing the best of the trade.

Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 1,808 prime hoggs and 718 cast sheep at Ayr yesterday.

All classes of hoggs saw a rise on the week, especially export weights with heavy hoggs still looking value for money. The sale averaged 266p/kg or £117 with a top price of £148 and 329p for the same Beltex hogg. Blackfaces sold to £119 for a pen weighing 43kg and 282p for others. Mules peaked at £132 and 279p.

The cast sheep were a fantastic trade from start to finish with a top price of £235 for a pen of three pure Texels with Texel crosses to £150 and Blackface ewes to £106.