Last updated 13:34, Thursday, 17 July 2008

ON TUESDAY Hexham and Northern Marts held their weekly sale for prime cattle. Prime cattle prices. Heifers per kilo: Limousin to 180.5p and 176.5p Shield Farm and 172.5p and 166.5p Hard Riding. Charolais to 175.5p Flotterton. Blonde to 167.5p Shield Farm. Heifers per head: Limousin to £1,104.89 and £1,086.61 Shield Farm. Blonde to £1,075.35 Shield Farm. Charolais to £988.07 Flotterton.

Over 30 month animals. Prices per kilo: Limousin to 142.5p and 125.5p High Town, 115.5p(2) and 108.5p White House, 112.5p Broomhall, 108.5p Lough Green, 107.5p West Kirkheaton, 107.5p The Fawns and 105.5p Parkside. Luing to 107.5p West Kirkheaton. Simmental to 107.5p Allendale. Angus to 104.5p Middle Dukesfield. Prices per head: Limousin to £969 and £921.17 High Town and £896.21 and £848.93 White House. Luing to £868.60 West Kirkheaton. Galloway to £826.54 Hepple Hill.

There was 2,055 prime sheep forward, which comprised of 1,854 lambs, 42 hoggs and 159 cast ewes and rams. Another superb show of lambs with quality kinds sharper on the week as another buyer was forward to compete for the best lambs. The sale was topped by a pen of Charollais x Texel lambs with superb conformation from Middle Horsleyhope which sold to 163.9p/kg and were purchased by Messrs A. Wright and Son, Meat Wholesalers, Boston, Lincolnshire. Heavy lambs were slightly easier on the week selling to £68 for Texel x from Prospect Hill. Sale average 133.1p/kg and £54.18/head, a £6.33 improvement on the year.

Lamb prices. Texel x per head to £68 Prospect Hill, £64.80 Beaumont House, £63.50 Fell Lane, £63 Highwood and Waite Farm, £62 Brokenheugh and Grange Farm, £61.80 North Cocklake, £61.20 Flotterton, £61 Old Town, £60.50 Prospect Hill and £60.20 Stone Hall. Per kilo to 152.6p West Wharmley, 151.3p Todburn, 151.2p Grange Farm and Fell Lane, 150p Highwood, 146.5p Waite Farm, 145p High Eshells and Little Swinburne, 144.5p East Matfen, 143.4p Ravenside, 142.9p Breckon Hill and Beaumont House, 142.6p Low Staples and 142.3p High Fotherley. Beltex x per head to £59 and £54.50 Middle Horsleyhope, £58 Breckon Hill(smith) and £54.50 Lingey Field. Per kilo to 159.5p and 143.2p Middle Horsleyhope and 147.3p Lingey Field. Suffolk x per head to £61.50 and £59.50 Thornton Tower, £60.50 and £57.80 Highwood, £60 Prospect Hill and West Kirkheaton, £59 High Fotherley, £57.20 Middle Horsleyhope and £57 Elrington Hall, Low Staples, Keepershield, Moss Barns, South Colwell and Jubilee Buildings. Per kilo to 154.6p Middle Horsleyhope, 143.6p and 140.5p High Fotherley, 143.4p Lingey Field, 141.7p and 138.5p(2) Thornton Tower, 141p Highwood, 140p Beamwham, 139p Moss Barns, 137.5p Binchester Hall and 137.1p Tone Hall. Charollais x per head to £59 Middle Horsleyhope, £55.80 Rusheylaw and £52.80 Salmonswell. Per kilo to 163.9p Middle Horsleyhope, 132.9p Rusheylaw, 132.4p Lingey Field and 132p Salmonswell. Half Bred to £53 and 135.9p Keepershield. Hampshire to £52 and 126.8p Elgen Villas. Mule to £50 and 128.2p Lee Hall. Prime hoggs. Well fleshed hoggs to £49.50 from the Bridges.

Cast ewes and rams had all classes short of requirements. Ewe prices per head: Suffolk x to £70 and £66.50 Flotterton, £64 Stone Hall, £59.50 Whins Farm and £58.50 Warkshaugh. Texel x to £68 Tedcastle, £66 and £52.50 Grange House, £62.80 West Wharmley, £62.50 Breckon Hill, £54.50 Fallowfield and High Rowantree Foot, £54 Dilston Haugh, £53 Highwood and £52 Beamwham. Mule to £56 and £52.50 Whins Farm, £48.80 Grange House, £46 Beamwham and £45.50 Dilston Haugh and Lee Hall. Cheviot x to £37 Ridley Farm. Blackface to £30 Lee Hall. Swaledale to £24.50 Ottercops. Suffolk x wethers to £61 and £52 Whins Farm.

ON FRIDAY Hexham and Northern Marts had forward 117 store cattle. A mixed show for quality met a spirited enquiry with plenty of customers in attendance. Top prices. Cattle 23 months +. Limousin x: Steers to £838, £830, £798 and £735 Breckon Hill and £795 Lunns House. Heifers to £650 and £642 South Farm, Gunnerton.

Cattle aged 17 – 22 months. Charolais x heifers to £800 South Farm, Gunnerton. Simmental x steers to £792 and £768 Thrunton Lowfield. Limousin x: Steers to £700 Pitland Hills. Heifers to £585 and £560 South Farm, Gunnerton. Belgian Blue x steers to £638 Bishopton Mont x steers to £488 Bishopton. Cattle 11 – 16 months. Limousin x: Steers to £830 and £800 Smailsburn, £768 and £660 Blackburn and £568 Pitland Hills. Heifers to £660 Smailsburn, £615 Thrunton Lowfield, £560, £558 and £495 Bishopton and £512 South Farm, Gunnerton. Charolais x Steers to £735 Thrunton Lowfield. Heifers to £675 and £648 Thrunton Lowfield. Simmental x: Steers to £610 Moss Barns. Heifers to £540 and £490 Moss Barns. Cattle 10 month and under: Limousin x steers to £640 Bishopton. Hereford x steers to £460 Bishopton.

LAST Wednesday Hexham and Northern Marts at their Scots Gap centre sold an encouraging entry of over 500 prime lambs to a ringside of five buyers purchasing for seven local and national companies. Leading prices were £62 for Texel x lambs from Messrs Robson, Dene House purchased for Thompson Wholesale Meat Ltd, County Durham and £60 for Suffolk x lambs from Messrs Mitchell, Howlett Hall purchased for A. Traves and Son Ltd, York. Beltex x lambs sold to 142.5ppkg from R. Carr Esq, Homilton, Texel x to 137.2ppkg from Mrs Pumphrey, Craig Hall and Suffolk cross to 132.9ppkg from Messrs Milburn, Holling Hill. Values were in line with those seen earlier in the week with price premiums for top quality well finished 40-42kg sorts and also those lambs at the heavier end of the scale.

Other prices: Texel x per head to £62 and £56.20 Dene House, £61.20 Whittonstone, £59 Tosson Tower and Craig Hall, £58.80 and £57.20 Dunns Houses, £58 Mount Huly, £57.50 Highlaws and Capheaton New Houses, £55.20 and £55 Hallington New Houses, £54.20 Tosson Tower, £54 Needless Hall, £53.80 High House and £53.50 Coldwell. per kilo to 137.2p Craig Hall, 131.7p Needless Hall, 131.4p 127.9p Hallington New Houses, 131.2p High House, 130.7p and 130p Dunns Houses, 129.1p 125.5p Tosson Tower, 127.7p 126.5p Dene House, 127p Capheaton New Houses and 124.5p Three Farms. Beltex x to £57, £56, £54.50, £54, 142.5p, 132.9p, 131.7p and 127.3p Homilton.

Suffolk x per head to £60 Highlaws, £59.50 Hallington New Houses, £59 and £56.50 Catreen, £58.80 Needless Hall, £58.50, £57 and £54.50 Holling Hill, £55.20 Chesters, £55 Dunns Houses and Three Farms, £54.20 Little Harle, £54 Middle White Hill, £53.20 Capheaton New Houses and £53 Middleton Mill and Crook Dene. Per kilo to 132.9p and 130p Holling Hill, 131.1p Catreen, 129.4p Hallington New Houses, 127.9p Three Farms, 126.7p Capheaton New Houses, 126.1p Little Harle, 125.7p High House, 125.5p Chesters and 124.5p Middle White Hill.

AT THEIR weekly Longtown sale of prime stock on Thursday, the Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers’ Mart had forward 86 prime cattle, along with 270 prime hoggs, 2,539 prime lambs and 5,531 cast ewes and rams. Cattle averages: Steers: Light, 131.5p (123.6p); medium, 176.5p (145.8p); heavy, 170.5p (157.2p). Heifers: Light, 124.5p (122.0p); medium, 157.5p (139.3p); heavy, 185.5p (152.3p).

Sheep averages: Hoggs: Light, 119.3p (93.2p); standard, 125.8p (115.0p); medium, 118.2p (97.3p); heavy, 105.3p (85.4p). Shearlings: 106.7p (73.5p). Lambs: Light, 156.8p (136.5p); standard, 147.6p (132.7p); medium, 147.1p (131.1p); heavy, 138.3p (126.2p); o/weight, 132.0p (128.4p ). Ewes: Light, £46.50 (£22.25); heavy, £77.50 (£43.75). Cast rams: £69.50 (£41.45).