Farming
By Neil McQuistin
Harrison and Heatherington Ltd sold 64 clean cattle, 57 cast cows, 1,575 prime lambs and 1,224 cast sheep at St Boswells yesterday.
Twenty-four beef-bred, prime bullocks sold to 296p/kg to average 288p, while 39 heifers peaked at 318p and averaged 278p. One prime young bull sold for 166p. Cast cows sold to 257p and £1,876 to average 195p. Prime lambs sold to £154 for Texels and 315p for Beltex to average £107 or 237p overall.
Cast sheep averaged £79 overall and sold to £163 for Suffolks. Heavy ewes averaged £109, while light ewes sold to £113 for North Country Cheviot ewes to average £68.
The firm also sold 13 beef-bred, prime heifers at Carlisle yesterday to a top of 304p/kg to average 255p (-5p).
The rise or fall of average prices is from two weeks ago as there was no sale last Monday. Twenty-five, beef-bred bullocks peaked at 296p and averaged 252p (-8p). Seventy-five young bulls (beef-bred) peaked at 285p to average 238p (+10p), while 41 dairy-bred young bulls sold to 230p and averaged 191p (n/c).
In the cast ring 178 beef cows sold to 280p to average 191p (+4p), while 290 dairy cows peaked at 205p to average 135p (-4p). Nineteen cast bulls peaked at 210p to average 154p (-6p).
Prime lambs (1,963) peaked at £152 and 345p/kg to average 244p overall (-1p), while cast sheep sold to a top of £159 for a Texel and averaged £87 for 143 Lowland ewes. Hill ewes (109) peaked at £67 for Cheviots to average £42 (-£27).
Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 2,873 prime lambs and 794 cast sheep at Ayr yesterday.
It was another large entry of lambs with a larger proportion of Mules and Blackfaces. The whole sale averaged 225p (-11p) or £102 (-£4). All types apart from the best and heavy were harder to cash on the week. Top prices were £140 for a heavy weight Texel and 261p for a pen of nine Beltex crosses. Blackface lambs peaked at £119 or 221p, while Mules sold to £112.
Another large show of cast sheep this week had more hill and leaner types forward. Top price of £172 was paid for a pair of Texel ewes.
Lawrie & Symington Ltd sold 14 prime cattle and 92 cast cows at Lanark yesterday. Thirteen prime, beef-breed heifers sold to 300p and averaged 281p (-6p), while one beef-breed bullock sold for 282p (+4p). Eight dairy bullocks and heifers averaged 218p (+4p). Three young bulls averaged 225p (-5p).
In the cast ring 56 beef cows averaged 189p (+14p), while 36 dairy cows averaged 148p (n/c).
The firm also sold prime lambs yesterday that peaked at £148 and 302p/kg to average 230p (-12p).
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