Markets

SALES MARKET

Finished Cattle -136

A disappointing entry for a Bank Holiday and a stronger trade as was expected. Plenty of buyers looking for a few cattle to kill after the holiday especially bearing in mind that the slaughter premium has now stopped. All sorts were keenly competed for with prices up on the week across the board. Prices as follows:

MEDIUM STEERS Standard quality to 102.0p ave 100.7p; Also Rans to 96.5p; Overall average to 97.0p.

HEAVY STEERS Best quality to 127.0p ave 112.0p; Standard quality to 104.5p ave 101.6p; Also Rans to 97.0p; Overall average to 101.3p.

MEDIUM HEIFERS Best quality to 112.5p ave 109.0p; Standard quality to 104.5p ave 101.1p; Overall Average to 104.3p.

HEAVY HEIFERS Best quality to 130.5p ave 110.4p; Standard quality to 104.5p ave 101.4p; Also Rans to 94.5p; Overall average to 105.1p.

Bulls

The bulls were an excellent trade again. Light bulls to 94.5p ave 94.5p; Medium bulls to 109.5p ave 97.8p; Heavy Bulls to 121.5p ave 101.0p.

Finished Sheep - 2,544

A very good trade. Lean but well fleshed hoggets were at a marked premium. There is nothing to be gained by having big lots of sheep, which are not drawn. Please, if you have got fatter hoggets, sell them separately. Plenty of instances on Monday of some thick lambs in a pen spoiling the overall trade. Prices were as follows:

Light Hoggets to 114.0p aved 109.3p; Standard Hoggets to 126.0p ave 112.6p; Medium Hoggets to 130.5p ave 113.5p; Heavy Hoggets to 119.0p ave 106.7p; Overweight Hoggets to 105.0p ave 101.2p.

Export quality hoggets sold up to 130.5p and averaged 116.4p with home trade hoggets to 113.5p and averaged 111.4p.

The killing ewes on offer were a good trade again with plenty of buyers. More could have been sold to advantage. Killing ewes up to £54.40 and an overall average of £32.60. Killing rams to £51.50 averaged £32.08.

STORE MARKET

Store Cattle -102

A small entry for the last sale in the year still attracted a very good crowd of buyers with all of those animals still able to be claimed upon in keen demand. This especially applied to the feeding bulls, which averaged an incredible 155.0 per kilo. All of the steers of whatever type quality and size averaged 109.2p and this included several red-carded bullocks with all of the heifers 105.0p per kilo. Breed prices were as follows:

Charolais Steers to £540, £508, £495, £480 (Top 120.0p ave 110.4p)

Charolais Heifers to £515 (98.5p)

Limousin Steers to £530, £415, £400 (Top 115.2p ave 112.0p)

Limousin Heifers to £410, £402, £340, £310, £300 (Top 110.7p ave 106.0p)

Simmental Heifers to £322 (110.2p)

Belgian Blue Steers to £668, £460, £458 (Top 112.0p ave 103.0p)

Belgian Blue Heifers to £366, £350, £335 (x2) (Top 109.8p ave 105.0p)

Hereford Steers to £600 (118.3p)

Hereford Heifers to £350 (103.8p)

Blonde D'Aquitaine Heifers to £535, £300 (Top 110.7p ave 109.2p)

The bull prices were as follows:

Charolais Bulls to £385, £340, £325 (Top 115.0p ave 110.0p)

Simmental Bulls to £460, £404 (Top 182.5p ave 172.0p)

Limousin Bulls to £362 (157.3p)

Belgian Blue Bulls to £460, £362 (Top 182.5p ave 179.0p)

Hereford Bulls to £430, £312 (Top 127.0p ave 124.0p)

Blonde D'Aquitaine Bulls to £455, £406 (Top 161.7p ave 159.0p)

Saler Bulls to £455, £360 (Top 160.0p ave 154.0p)

Friesian Bulls to £320, £276, £190 (Top 118.7p ave 106.2p)

Store sheep - 1,313

A very good entry for the time of year and a trade which would be up on that two weeks ago. Strong store lambs sold to £49.20 and would average £44.80. Medium store lambs to £43.60 averaged £42.10; small store lambs to £39.00 averaged £37.29. Plenty of buyers and no end of competition for all of the store sheep on offer.

Calves - 25

An excellent trade again on all of the calves with a top price of £185 for a bull calf. All of the bull calves, to include Friesians, averaged £88.00 per head with all of the heifer calves averaging £67.00. Prices would be every bit as good as anytime during the year.

SALES MARKET

Finished cattle - 289

A disappointing entry in terms of numbers sold to host of buyers and a trade for all sorts was simply on fire. Think of a good price and then add some was the order of the day. Prices as follows:

LIGHT STEERS Standard quality to 106.5p ave 106.5p; Also Rans to 99.5p; Overall average to 103.0p

MEDIUM STEERS Best quality to 125.5p ave 116.7p; Standard quality to 109.0p ave 106.3p; Also Rans to 99.5p; Overall Average to 106.6p.

HEAVY STEERS Best quality to 130.5p ave 114.2p; Standard quality to 109.0p ave 106.0p; Also Rans to 99.5p; Overall Average to 107.8p.

LIGHT HEIFERS Standard quality to 109.0p ave 109.0p; Also Rans to 84.5p; Overall average to 107.8p.

MEDIUM HEIFERS Best quality to 117.5p ave 113.3p; Standard quality to 106.0p ave 104.1p; Also Rans to 99.5p; Overall average to 105.1p

HEAVY HEIFERS Best quality to 133.0p ave 115.2p; Standard quality to 109.0p ave 105.4p; Also Rans to 99.5p; Overall average to 107.6p.

Bulls

The bulls were a very good trade again with Medium Bulls to 118.5p ave 100.3p; Heavy Bulls to 121.5p ave 105.1p. Even when the trade was difficult before Christmas you could rely on Ludlow to get you what the animals were worth. It cleared up a lot of cattle for people and we hope now they will be able to find us some animals when they are really wanted. Many more urgently needed to satisfy the company of buyers that we have.

Finished Sheep - 3,940

A hogget trade which was very firm right the way through. Well fleshed but lean hoggets made a marked premium. Prices were as follows:

Standard Hoggets to 127.0p ave 123.3p; Medium Hoggets to 130.0p ave 120.1p; Heavy Hoggets to 124.5p ave 110.0p ave 107.6p

Export quality hoggets sold up to 130.0p and averaged 121.7p with home trade hoggets to 119.0p and averaged 116.6p.

A good firm trade on all the ewes with prices up by a little despite the numbers of ewes being sold everywhere. Ewes sold up to £55.20 and an overall average of £31.30 right the way through with rams to £40.50 averaged £27.42.

ROSS

Nos Cattle 172, Nos Sheep 2121.

Clean Cattle (172 forward)

Steers (Overall Average 106.5p): 8 Medium, 119.0 Max, 104.1 Average; 108 Heavy, 127.0 Max, 106.7 Average

Heifers (Overall Average 102.5p): 6 Medium, 102.0 Max, 98.1 Average; 50 Heavy, 112.5 Max, 103.0 Average.

Hoggetts (1903 forward)

Overall Average 119.6p: 51 Light, 115.8 Max, 115.8 Average; 524 Standard, 122.8 Max, 121.0 Average; Medium 951, 124.7 Max, 119.0 Average; 344 Heavy, 117.8 Max, 110.9 Average; 33 Overweight, 104.3 Max, 100.0 Average.

Cull Ewes 218, £46.50 Max, £30.20 Average.

WORCESTER

Cattle 84

STEERS (500-695kg) Premium 111.8, Prime 101.4, Others 89.1;

HEIFERS (480-650kg) Premium 108.4, Prime 97.1, Others 89.4; YOUNG

BULLS (450-550KG) Prime 93.5.

Sheep 1,209

HOGGETS (30.5-36kg) Premium 122.3, Prime 112.6; HOGGETS (36.5-43kg) Premium 120.4, Prime 114.3;

HOGGETS (43.5-48kg) Premium 110.8.

EWES 472 average £32.28.