Farming
By Alec Ross
Following the news that trade talks between the UK and Canada have been halted after the UK Government held the line on existing market barriers for the first time, NFU Scotland has expressed its wish that this should represent a permanent change in approach.
“Post-Brexit trade deals with major agricultural and manufacturing economies like Australia and New Zealand saw our agricultural interests and access to our food and drink sector used as cheap bargaining chips to secure what is seen as more lucrative market access for other sectors”, said NFU Scotland President Martin Kennedy. “There was little or nothing in such trade deals for Scottish food or farming.
“But this robust approach on a Canadian deal is something that both Defra and the Department for International Trade must permanently adopt in the future”, he concluded.
Round-up
Bullocks at St Boswells yesterday averaged 295p/kg and sold to 328p/kg, while heifers averaged 298p/kg and sold to 336p/kg on two occasions. Meanwhile, cast cows averaged 185p/kg and sold to 251p/kg or £1929/head, and Hoggs finally dropped on the week to average 300p/kg or £132/head, selling to £169 for Beltexes. Cast sheep averaged £104/head and sold to £220/head for Texel ewes.
Hoggets once again sold easily at Ayr yesterday and peaked at £168/head for a pair of Texels from Sandieston or to 329p/kg for Beltexes from Kilkerran, while Blackies peaked at £152/head for Lillielaw. Cast sheep held up well on the week and sold to £158 for a Texel from Ladywell Place, while Blue Texels from Dykes led the tup section at £147/head. And Cheviots from Borland led a large hill ewe section at £122/head.
Prime heifers at Carlisle yesterday rose by 9p/head on the week to average 288p/kg and sold to 325p/kg, while beef-bred bullocks rose by the same amount to average 281p/kg and sold to 320p/kg. Beef-bred young bulls rose by 8p on the week to average 268p/kg and sold to 330p/kg, and, as across the country, prime hoggs fell slightly to an average of 300p/kg and sold to 424p/kg or £190/head.
And prime beef heifers at Lanark yesterday were mostly unchanged on the week at an average of 290p/kg and sold to 334p/kg for a Limousin, while beef bred bullocks fell by 5p on the week to an average of 285p/kg and sold to 290p/kg for a Limousin cross.
Cast beef and dairy cows were unchanged on the week, selling to 175p/kg and 149p/kg respectively, and hoggs held up well to finish the day at an average of 292p/kg and a top price of £180/head or 363p/kg. Cast ewes met with demand and averaged £94/head (up £7 on the week) and sold to £258 for a Beltex.
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