Market Prices

At their weekly Prime Stock sale last Wednesday John Swan Ltd had forward and sold 802 lambs and 295 ewes.

Lamb numbers slightly easier, but vendors received returns above expectations, early week markets left well behind.

Leading prices per head:- Tex.x:- £87 Kettleburn, £82 Hartside (A Hutcheon), £79 Lorbottle, £78.50 Wandon, £78 Greenhead, Reston, £77.50, £77 West Longridge, £77 Branton Eastside. Suff.x:- £85.50 Castlelaw, £81.50 Brockley Hall, £79.50 Branton Eastside, £79 North Lyham, £77.50 Shotton. Bel.x:- £85 The Loan, £78.50, £78 Ladykirk. Chev:- £83 Humbleheugh.

Leading prices per kilo:- Bel:- 229.7p The Loan, 189.5p, 186.9p Ladykirk. Tex.x:- 200p Lorbottle, 191p Black Heddon, 187.2p Chatton Park, 186.3p, 185p Mindrum Farming Co, 185p Todrig, 183.3p Black Heddon, 182.9p Lorbottle, 181.3p East Fleetham. Suff.x:- 183.8p Mindrum Farming Co, 182.5p Howtel. Oxf:- 182.1p East Fleetham. Chev:- 181.7p South Charlton.

Ewes, numbers slightly increased with similar returns achieved, in keeping with national averages.

Leading prices:- Suff.x:- £77 Wandon, £70 Venchen, £69 Ross Farm. Tex.x:- £74 Alnham, £73 Wandon, £61 Cresswell Farms, £60 Yetlington Lane. Chev:- £50 Sourhope, £45 Alnham, £41 South Charlton. Mule:- £51 West Longridge. BF:- £35 Branton Eastside.

Rams:- Suff:- £90 Venchen. Tex.x:- £80 Greenhead, Reston.

st boswells

On Monday John Swan Ltd sold 86 clean cattle, 62 OTM cattle, 2,894 new season lambs and 425 ewes.

Bullocks (48) averaged 234.2p per kg and sold to 267p (-5.8p on week), heifers (38) averaged 230p per kg and sold to 277p (-7.2p on week) and 58 beef type OTM cattle averaged 127.9p per kg and sold to 225p (+5.9p on the week).

The 1,859 new season SQQ lambs averaged 181.6p per kg (+8.1p on week) and sold to £103, 1,035 light lambs averaged 171.7 and 425 ewes averaged £54.66 and sold to £95. Heavy ewes £71.29, light ewes £44.56.

Principal prices per kg: Bee Edge 2.77, 2.67 M/s WTS Forsyth and Sons, 2.66 Denholm Meat Supplies, 2.60 Robert Wilson Butcher, Edinburgh, 2.58 W Taylor (Lockerbie); Traprain 2.67 M/s WTS Forsyth and Sons, 2.59 (2) M/s Cropper and Malone of Edinburgh; Upper Nisbet 2.61 Denholm Meat Supplies, 2.59 M/s WTS Forsyth and Sons, 2.57 Malone of Edinburgh; Longnewton £2.60 M/s J Gilmour and Co Ltd, 2.57 M/s J Saunderson Ltd; Saughland 2.60 Denholm Meat Supplies; Hollybush 2.59 M/s TA Shaw; Upper Hundalee 2.59 M/s WTS Forsyth and Sons.

Principal -prices per head: Lurdenlaw £1740.40, £1668.45, £1575.50; Bee Edge £1634.30, £1575.30; Haltree £1570.80.

John Swan Ltd held their annual Show and Sale of Cast Cows judged by M/s G Moor.

The champion exhibited by M/s Hamilton, Ramrig, scaled 905kgs making 153p realising £1384.65.

The reserve champion exhibited by M/s Fleming, Mosstower, scaled 765kgs making 1.59p realising £1216.35.

Cows per head: Ramrig £1384.65, £1345.05; Nisbet £1363.15, £1295.25, £1086.75; Thrunton £1253.55; Mosstower £1216.35, £1050.45; Wester Middleton £1112; Queenscairn £1107.20; Outerston £1102.50; Philiphaugh £1096.20; Upper Samieston £1080.25, Greenknowe £982.80; Upper Hundalee £981.25.

Cows per kg: Outerston 2.25; Philiphaugh 2.03; Nisbet 1.99, 1.89, 1.65; Queenscairn 1.73,1.63; Mosstower 1.59, 1.49; Greenknowe 1.53; Ramrig 1.53, 1.47; Upper Samieston 1.45; Wester Middleton 1.39; Rumbleton 1.39.

Bulls: Wedderlie £1047.60(.97p); Upper Tofts £906.95 (97p).

The new season lambs SQQ avge 181.6p selling to £103 Bel.x ex Sydenham and 220.8p pkg for Tex.x ex Crumhaughhill.

Lambs per head: Bel.x;- £103 Sydenham, £97 Craigsford Mains, Tex.x;- £94 Crumhaughhill, £93 Crookston, Tex;- £93 Roxburgh Mill, £92.50 Quarrybank, Suff.x;- £96 Nether Howden(Halliday), £88 Burnhouse Mains, Chev;- £81.50 Attonburn, £80 Wester Ulston and Haltree, Mule;- £77.50 Threeburnford, £77 Burncastle, CM;- £75 Gospelhall, £74.50 Gilston, BF;- £72 Lauderhill.

Lambs per kg: Tex.x;- 220.8, 217.6, 216.2 Crumhaughhill, Bel.x;- 218.4 Crookston, 215 Sydenham, 213.2 Ashcraig, Suff.x;- 187.5 Birkenside, 187.2 Parkhill, 185.9 Threeburnford, Chev;- 186.3 Haltree, 185 Sydenham, Mule;- 184.6 Coulston Mains, 182.9 Burncastle Farming, CM;- 180.5 Wester Uston, BF;- 173.8

Lightweight lambs avge 171.7.

Lambs per head: Bel.x;- £73 Crookston, £70 Ashcraig, Suff.x;- £66 Brotherston, Tex.x;- £62 Helmburn, £57.50 Hillhouse, Mule;- £60 Brockhouse, Chev;- £57.50 Brockhouse, BF;- £63.50 Woodburn, £57 Craig Douglas and Holylee. Lambs per kg: Bel.x;- 212 Ashcraig, 202.8 Crookston, Suff.x;- 188.6 Brotherston, Tex.x;- 187.9 Helmburn, BF;- 186.7 Burncastle, 185.7 Holylee, Chev.x;- 182.8 Birnieknowe.

Cast ewes: Suff.x;- £95,£85,£84 Craigsford Mains, £88 Middlethird and Cockburn, Tex;- £85 The Bow, £79 St Leonards, Suff;- £75 Brotherstone, Cher;- £75 Deanfoot, Chev;- £71 Provest (Melrose), £59 Gilston, HB;- £71 Wester Middleton, GF;- £63 Craigsford, £57 Burnhouse Mains and Cockburn, Chev;- £60 Gilston, BF;- £53 Burnhouse Mains, £43 Burncastle.

Rams: Suff;- £111 Wester Middleton, Tex;- £89 Ladylands. S.

longtown

The Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers Mart PLC had forward 43 prime cattle, five young bulls, 29 over 30 month cattle, 5,843 prime lambs and 6,317 cast ewes and rams at their weekly sale at Longtown last Thursday.

It was the Christmas show and sale of prime cattle. A total of 20 cattle were offered for show, where the judge Mr Joe Kirkup (Wm Kirkup and Sons, Butcher, Longtown) cast his eye over them and awarded the championship to a Limousin heifer shown by J and N Blaylock and Son, Hallburn, which later realised 295p (£1,947) and was purchased by the judge.

The reserve ticket went to J Retson and Son, Gardrum for a Belgian Blue heifer selling to 280p (£1736) to S McGimpsey, Thorns.

The cup for the Best British Beast was awarded to WG and HM Kyle, Spout Bank, which later sold to 238p (£1213.80) purchased by Joe Kirkup (Wm Kirkup and Sons).

Young bulls were a small show of five.

The otms were a similar trade and continued to follow the national trend.

Top price was 145.5p for a British Blue cow from Nunscleugh with top price per head £1182 Henrys Hill.

border livestock

This week Border Livestock Exchange to week ending sold 109 prime cattle including 45 cows, 191 store cattle, 2,014 prime lambs, 1,140 store lambs, 262 cull ewes and four mature bulls.

Top prices in the prime cattle section went to Easington Grange, Belford, for a home bred Charolais cross steer at £1,786. Charolais cross heifers from the same farm sold to £1,524.

Hereford cross steers from Tughall Grange, Chathill, sold to £1,699. Cast cows to £1,190 for Limousin crosses from Harehope Farm, Wooler, and to £1,182 for Luings from Ewart Farm, Wooler.

Lambs showed good signs of improving as numbers tighten with demand firm particularly for lighter weights.

Top price:- 400p per kg from Venchen Farm, Yetholm and Hardens, Duns.

Top per head for export weights was £85.05 from Hollybush Galashiels and £84.00 from Primside Farm, Yetholm.

The company had one of their busiest weeks for the time of year, with store sheep and cattle.

Store lambs sold in large numbers with trade the dearest so far this year.