Farming

Round-up

By Alec Ross

A smaller show of prime lambs at Ayr yesterday averaged 259p/kg or £118/head, and sold to £152/head for Texels from Gass or to 304p/kg for Beltexes from Rankinston.

Fatter cast sheep were again hard to sell but leaner types easily maintained recent rates and sold to £185 for a Charollais tup from from Lochend, while Cheviots from Knockjarder and Keyshill sold to £86/head. Blackies peaked at £77/head for East Moorhouse, while Mules from Burnbank sold to £96/head.

Prime heifers at Carlisle yesterday dropped by 14p/kg to an average of 266p/kg and sold to 320p/kg, but prime beef bred bullocks met with demand and rose by 4p on the week to average 240p/kg before peaking at 250p/kg.

In line with recent trends, it was mostly beef bred young bulls that buyers sought, something reflected in a rise of 8p to an average of 260p/kg.

And despite a large consignment, prime lambs held up well at an average of 273p/kg and a peak of £205/head. Hill ewes were mostly unchanged at £60/head and sold to £108 for a Cheviot.

Bullocks at St Boswells yesterday averaged 287p/kg and sold to 320p/kg, while a large consignment of heifers averaged 294p/kg and sold to 332p/kg.

Cast cows held up well at an average of 153p/kg and sold to a peak of £1,844/head, and lambs averaged 264p/kg of £120/head and sold to £170 for Suffolks or 333p/kg for Beltexes. Light ewes averaged £70/head and sold to £87/head while tups peaked at £159 for a Texel.

Prime beef bred heifers at Lanark yesterday rose by 3p on the week to an average of 312p/kg and sold to 360p/kg for a Limousin while bullocks rose by the same level to an average of 302pkg and a peak of 322p/kg, again for a Limousin.

Cast cows held up well at an average of 149p/kg, but lambs dropped by 10p on the week to an average of 263p/kg and peaked at £160/head of 332p/kg.