Farming

Round-up

By Alec Ross

Despite a mixed show of quality, hoggs again met with demand at Newton Stewart yesterday and achieved an average of 327p/kg or £133/head and sold to £195 for Texels from High Boreland or to 389p/kg for Airyolland. Blackie hoggs sold to £173 for Little Larg while Mules peaked at 349p/kg for Joanne McColm, Barncorkrie, and cast sheep rose on the week to a peak of £209 for Beltex ewes from Dirnow. And tups sold to £148 for a Bluefaced Leicester from Garheugh.

Yesterday’s calf sale at Carlisle included 150 head from purely grass-reared systems, and it peaked at £650 for a British Blue from Stoneybrook. Meanwhile, store cattle averaged £1451 (steers) and £1372 (heifers) and sold to £2120 for an Aberdeen Angus steer from Blackrigg. And weaned cattle met with demand, selling to £1720 for a Limousin from Stubbsgill and to £1640 for a Simmental from Castlewigg.

Lighter hoggs at Dumfries yesterday averaged 338p/kg and sold to 389p/kg for Tinwald Shaws, while the heaviest types averaged 328p/kg and peaked at 346p/kg for Texels from West Skelston. Cast ewes were sharper on the week, selling to £182 for a Suffolk from Midtown, while tups peaked at £218 for a Texel from Little Fenwick.

Old season lambs at Dingwall on Tuesday averaged 318p/kg and sold to 357p/kg for Beltex crosses from Ballicherry or to £240/head gross for the same breeding from Camultmuir, while feeding sheep sold to £168 for a Cheviot from Muirton. And hill ewes saw a rise on the week, suggesting that demand is finally growing.

Hoggs also met with demand at Longtown on Tuesday, peaking at £172/head for Beltexes from Edengrove, while feeding ewes also rose on the week to a top price of £152/head for Suffolks from Haliburton. Cast tups sold to £130 for Suffolks from Twistlehope while in-lamb ewes peaked at £115/head for Cheviots from Yetholm Mains.