Greetings Members & Customers,
The sunshine is here again!! Farm yards are a hustle and bustle of silage machinery, balers and combines, all making the most of the glorious weather. By all accounts it’s due to hang about in to next week as well. Many members are starting to wean lambs this week, with the first hits of fat lambs a long distant memory. The first of the breeding sheep were sold this week, further down country with market reports suggesting a good strong start. Let’s hope that’s set to continue. Helen had two good batches of store lamb’s away this week – starting away at a strong price well over £120 –please get in touch with your local fields person should you need be looking to buy or sell any.
Cattle
Prime
● The prime cattle trade still remains fairly steady with not much change from last week, sitting around the 585 to 595ppk mark with the angus scooping up another 10ppk landing them nicely back over the £6 mark.
● Cows are still holding their own, sitting at around 535ppk many outlets are starting to get through the waiting lists so uplift is fairly sharpish.
● Please give us an accurate description if we don’t get to see them so we can place them in the best spots
● Fci forms are available on our website
● Cattle need to be presented clean and dry
● Cattle also need to have two official tags in their ears, we cannot do anything if they do not have identification. Our hands are tied.
● Please have cattle as ready as they can be when booking, as when the load is booked a sudden drop in numbers can be very frustrating, as it can mean cancelling the load.
● Certain outlets will not acceptforeign cows so please let your fields person know before you book them in ifthey’re not British.
● Store cattle are starting to come out of the woodwork, many people are getting a bit twitchy with the heatwave burning off the grass, but by the same token we have many people on the west looking for them. Trade has firmed up ever so slightly with more confidence in the job off the back of the stabilizing fat.
Sheep
● Prime lamb demand is starting to ‘heat up’ this week, with many abattoirs wanting big loads of lambs to meet supermarket demand. However many members as previously mentioned are looking to wean lambs which will just slow them up a bit.
● Although the trade did take a dip in June, the trade has firmed up this week with prime lambs still being paid at around the 800ppk mark – which isn’t to be sniffed at.
● Store lambs are starting off strong in big demand, which is a pleasant change from last year, when no one wanted anything as there was absolutely no grass anywhere. As previously mentioned, lambs sold off the west have got off to an absolute flyer!
● Breeding sheep are starting to make an appearance – many of us have batches of sheep floating about on our books -so please get in touch if you’re wanting to buy or sell.
● FCI Forms! Can we please make sure that you’re sending the correct FCI forms - if you don’t its a mad rush in the office and just not fun for anyone.
● Again please shut in lambs the night before. lambs travel better when empty and don’t arrive green at their final destination.
Organics
Lambs
● Organic lambs have been sitting around the 850ppk mark, a good 50p up on the conventional's.
Cattle
● Organic cattle still look goodat 730ppk. Uplift is slow, so please keep this is mind when booking in. Organicmarkets are very limited at present
● Huge demand for Organic storecattle to go up and down the country.
Wanted
PRIME LAMBS-Everyone -
Storecattle – 400kg+ NG
OrganicStore cattle NG DM JW
Goodstrong continental store lambs NG HM
AAxdairy calves – NG JW HM AN
Scottishwhite faces gimmers – HM
Scottishregular hill ewes -HM
GrassCattle -HM – NG
For sale
4YRold AA Bull available -HM
100Tex x whiteface Gimmers – English NG
30Mule Gimmers – English NG
13Belted Galloway bullocks – 24-26m verygood Tb4 Van reg England -NG
