Market Prices

At their weekly sale of primestock held last Wednesdday John Swan Ltd had forward and sold 249 new season lambs, 67 hoggs and young sheep and 45 ewes.

Increase in spring lamb numbers, resulted in an increase in buyers operating.

New season lambs, leading prices per head:- Tex.x:- £112, £110 Lilburn Estates, £110 Ladykirk, £110, £108, £107 Holy Island, £108 Wrangham East. Sfx:- £110 Holy Island, £105, £102 Howtel. Bel:- £108, £102.50p Chillingham Home Farm.

Leading prices per kilo:- Tex.x:- 265p Ladykirk, 257.2p (2) Lilburn Estates, 257.1p Holy Island. Bel:- 263.4p, 262.8p Chillingham Home Farm. Sfx:- 250p Holy Island.

Hoggs, leading prices per head:- Tex.x:- £119 Holy Island, £115, £109.50p Shotton, £114.50p Crunklaw. Mule:- £109 Charlton Mires. Sfx:- £108.50p, £104.50p Shotton.

Less ewes available, with an increase in returns. Leading prices:- Tex:- £119 Barelees, £144 Edlingham Newtown, £103 Fowberry Moor. Suf:- £107 Edlingham Newtown. Sfx:- £100.50p Shotton, £97 Edlingham Newtown, £95 Charlton Mires. Zwa:- £100 Barelees. HB:- £98 Barelees. BF:- £84 Edlingham Newtown. Mule:- £82.50p Edlingham Newtown, £81 Shotton.

Rams:- Suf:- £129 Edlingham Newtown. BF:- £95 Edlingham Newtown.

st boswells

At their weekly primestock sale on Monday John Swan Ltd sold 81 clean cattle, 71 OTM cattle, 459 new season lambs, 306 old season hoggs and 238 ewes.

Bullocks (36) averaged 201.5p per kg and sold to 229p (-5.2p on week), heifers (41) averaged 209.3p per kg and sold to 234p (+6.3p on week), young bulls (4) averaged 188.3p per kg and sold to 200p (+17.1p on the week), 66 beef type OTM cattle averaged 128.8p per kg and sold to 165p (+2.5p on the week) and five Dairy type OTM cattle averaged 103.4p per kg and sold to 117p

The 459 new season lambs averaged 261.1p per kg (+10p on the week) and sold to £125, top price 274.4p per kg for a Texel lamb, 306 old season lambs averaged 205.2p per kg (+15.6p on the week) and sold to £114, top price of 226.5p per kg for Cheviot hoggs and 238 ewes averaged £73.10, and sold to £120 for a Suffolk ewes. Heavy ewes averaged £79.55, light ewes sold to £86 for Cheviot ewes and averaged £66.07.

Principal prices per head: Longnewton £1457.54; Lurdenlaw £1428.88; Bee Edge £1421.40, £1370.04; Jedderfield £1376.34.

Principal prices per kg: Bee Edge 2.34 W Taylor (Lockerbie), 2.33 Denholm Meats, 2.30 M/s WTS Forsyth and Sons, 2.26 Robert Wilson Butcher Edin, 2.24 Robert Pringle and Sons; Kirkton 2.30, 2.24, 2.23 Malone of Edinburgh; Humbie Mill 2.29 Ramsay Family Butchers, 2.21 John Anderson Butchers; Chapel Hill 2.29 Malone of Edinburgh; Kirkend 2.25 Malone of Edinburgh; Saltoun Home Farm 2.24 M/s TA Shaw, 2.20 Colin Peat; Caverton Mill 2.21 Alex Smith, 2.20 M/s WTS Forsyth and Sons.

Bulls: Boon £1344.20 (1.10); Roxburgh Mains £1207.44 (1.08); Outerston £1150.72 (1.16); Branton East Side £1150.60 (1.10); Moorhouse £1010.88 (1.17); Stobshiel Mains £993.84 (1.01); Tushielaw £906.98 (1.01).

Cows per head: Kersknowe £1342.70, £1226.12; East Learmonth £1220.40, £1165.72, £1137.78, £1126.84; Clarence House£1197.84; Branton East Side £1193.64, £1150.60; Easter Middleton £1142.60; Middlethird £1108.26; Stoneypath £1096.26; Soutra £1083.24.

Cows per kg: Branton East Side 1.65, 1.47; Clarence House 1.61, 1.49; Soutra 1.53; East Learmonth 1.51, 1.47; Langhaugh 1.51, 1.49, 1.47; Kersknowe 1.51; Stoneypath; Mosstower 1.49; Pogbie 1.45; Kaeside 1.45 (2).

longtown

The Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers Mart plc had forward 18 prime cattle, one young bull, 14 over 30 month cattle, 809 spring lambs, 3,420 prime hoggs and 3,806 cast ewes and rams at their weekly sale at Longtown last Thursday.

A small show of prime cattle forward with trade steady as the deadweight continues to fall. Top price to 217.5p and 215.5p for Limousin heifers shown by A. and W.J. Taylor and Son, Dashwellgreen.

Bulls sold to 161p per kilo (£912 per head) for Limousin from Waterhead of Dryfe. Cast cows sold sharper and more needed to satisfy demand. The sale was topped at 147.5p for a Limousin from Messrs A. and B. Scott, Dinley. Charolais to 146.5p sold by Mr J. Watret, Burnside.

A fantastic show of 809 spring lambs sold to the trade of the week, surpassing all other centres.

Top of 320p per kilo for Texels from J. and M.E. Ackerley, Milton Mains and to £136 per head for Texels from Messrs N. Forsyth and Son, Oswie. Overall average of 264.2p per kilo (SQQ 264.7p). More lambs required to meet buyers requirements. Producers are urged to keep drawing lambs at lighter weights.

All ewes sold to great demand.

Border Livestock exchange

Last week Border Livestock Exchange sold 209 prime cattle including 41 cast cows, 1,958 prime new season lambs including 329 ewes, 84 store cattle and 29 breeding cattle.

Prime cattle numbers remained good for the time of year with trade showing signs of firming. Home bred Limousin cross young bulls from Whitmuirhaugh, Kelso, hit the high spot when seven sold to £1,543 and 351p per kg to average £1,372 per head. Aberdeen Angus cross steers sold to a top price of 372p per kg for an R4L grade.

New season lambs broke all the records when the company sold 1,629 which sold to a top price of £113.92 and 541.99 p per kg for Meatlinc crosses from Primside Mill, Yetholm, and Lamberton Holdings, Berwick. Texel crosses from Cherrytrees, Yetholm, sold to £112.35 and 535.2 p per kg. Lightweight Euro lambs sold to 520p per kg and £72.80 for a consignment of 186 Continental Cross. Cast ewes continue to sell well with heavy types to £110 from Eastfield of Lempitlaw, Kelso.

Store cattle sold to 250p per kg for organic Limousin cross heifers. Limousin bulls 18 months from Bowsden Moor, Berwick, sold to £3,675.