With turnout rapidly approaching for many farms store cattle continue to meet a resounding demand across the country with plenty of stores trading at £1000 or more and the best passing £1400.
At Newton Stewart last Friday Craig Wilson sold 866 stores, with all classes readily bid for. So strong was the trade that the 502 beef bred steers sold to average 225.3p/kg (£908.80), a jump of 46.4p/kg and £167.20 on the same sale last year. Meanwhile, 92 dairy bred steers sold to average 170.5p/kg.
Topping the steers was a pen of Charolais crosses from J Drennan, Balgracie, at £1440, with Limousin crosses from the same home making £1360. Top price/kg was a pen of Limousins from I and A Fisher, Spittal, at 261.5p/kg. And dairy bred steers sold to £1105 (221p/kg) for a pen of Friesians from J Drennan, Balgracie.
In the heifers the 272 sold averaged 216.1p/kg (£823.75), a rise of 43.9p/kg and £200.65 on last year. These peaked at £1290 & £1270 for two pens of Limousin crosses from T Forsyth, Isle Farm, and sold to 261.9p/kg for another pen from the same vendor.
At Middleton in Teesdale Mart yesterday averages also rose significantly on the same sale last year, with prices up by an average of £100.36
Leading the way here were Charolais cross bullocks from Standing Stones at £1005/head, with Limousin cross steers from Toft House at £900 and Limousin cross heifers reaching £855 from Standing Stones.
And in the south of England Thame Market report a flying trade last week, with plenty of younger cattle selling at 250p/kg-300p/kg.
Topping the younger sorts was a pen of 11 month old Limousin cross Charolais steers from Phil Baldock at £1240, with Limousin crosses from B L High at £1115.
In the older cattle the best trade of the day was a pen of Limousin cross steers at £1200 for M McDermott, while another pen from the same home made £1195. Plenty of others from 12-20 months passed the £1000 mark too, including Charolais cross heifers from Richard Birch at £1035.
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