Last updated 20:16, Sunday, 17 February 2008

HOPE’S Auction Co Ltd, Wigton held their sale of store cattle with a catalogued entry of 168 last Thursday.

The top price was £770 paid for a Blonde steer from M/s Bimson & Martin, Longburgh Fauld, Burgh by Sands.

Heifers sold to £700 paid for a Limousin cross from P Richardson, Sandhills Farm, Bassenthwaite.

Bullocks - Blonde £770 Longburgh Fauld; British Blue 735 Saltcoats (Middleton); Charolais 730 Wheyrigg House; Limousin 720 Sandhills Farm; Montbeliarde 560 Dairy Farm; Hereford 545 Ivy House; Friesian 490 Bishop Lough.

Heifers - Limousin £700 Sandhills Farm; Belgian Blue 665 Longburgh Fauld; Blonde 685 Longburgh Fauld; Charolais 635 Blencogo House; Simmental 625 Ivy House; Holstein 530 Ivy House.

Bulls - Limousin £425 Kirkbride House.

Cows

The top price was 119.5p paid for a Limousin cross shown by D A Harrison, The Old Vicarage, Westnewton which also realised the top price per head of £932.10.

Dairy cows sold to 92.5p/kg twice which was paid to both J Pattinson & Son, Uldale Hall, Uldale and J Dixon & Son, Lesson Hall, Wigton.

Overall averages: Beef bred 96.01p/kg; dairy bred 78.73p/kg; overall sale 89.78p.

Prices per kg - Limousin cow 119.5p The Old Vicarage; British Blue cow 106.5 Manor Farm; Holstein Friesian cow 92.5 Uldale Hall; Charolais cow 98.5 Abbey Cowper; Simmental cow 81.5 Ericstane; Meuse Rhine Issel 89.5 Longcroft Farm; Belgian Blue bull 80.5 Mechi.

Prices per head - Limousin cow £932.10 The Old Vicarage; British Blue 809.40 Manor Farm; Simmental 580.28 Ericstane; Holstein Friesian cow 786.25 Lesson Hall (Dixon); Charolais 793.91 Abbey Cowper; Meuse Rhine Issel 590.70 Longcroft Farm; Belgian Blue bull 819.49 Mechi Farm; Hereford 575.75 The Old Vicarage.

What a show of cattle and a trade that proves yet again that Wigton leads for others to follow. 50 per cent of today’s total entry securing a bid of in excess of 150p/kg and of these 23 over 160p to top at 170.5p for M/s Barnett, Brinns Farm.

Today’s trade clearly providing the best returns for local producers with quite definitely the dearest trade since 1996!

Headage-wise, vendors continue to smile with 46 cattle over £1,000 to top at £1,200.54 for Crosby House Farm and Plant.

The top price of 170.5p/kg was paid for a Limousin steer shown by M/s Barnett, Brinns Farm, Shap. A Limousin shown by Crosby House Farm made the top price of £1,200.54 per head.

Heifers made a top price of 167.5p/kg for a Limousin shown by M/s Graham, Miller Hill, Gilsland. Top price of £1,115.84 was paid for a homebred Limousin heifer shown by M/s J W Rae, Greenah Villa, Langrigg and was purchased by R J Harrison, Wigton.

The top price for bulls was 160.5p/kg for a Limousin which also made top price of £1,067.33 shown by Hartley Farming Ltd., Prospect House Farm, Isel.

Averages: Steers MW 145.50, 125.40; HW 170.50, 147.44. Heifers MW 163.5, 133.73; HW 167.50, 146.14. Bulls MW 145.50, 118.03; HW 160.50, 137.36.

Steers - Limousin 170.5 Brinns Farm; Blonde 155.5 Toppin Castle; Charolais 152.5 The Old Vicarage;

Simmental 132.5 Parkgate Hall 121.5 Baggrow Farm; Holstein Friesian 126.5 Croft Head.

Heifers - Limousin 167.5 Miller Hill; British Blue 165.5 The Old Vicarage; Charolais 164.5 Scales Hall; Blonde 160.5 Bolton Hall.

Bulls - Limousin 160.5 Prospect House; British Blue 150.5 Mechi; Simmental 138.5 Ellenbank; Holstein Friesian 112.5 Prior Hall.

Hoggs

Yet again a tremendous lift in trade and the increase in numbers forward easily handled by increased buyer support. More could easily have been sold to advantage, with any breed weight of finished finding ready homes to provide an overall average of 132p/kg. top prices in excess of 170p/kg several times to top at 176p/kg for Beltex hoggs from EM & J Holliday, Clea Mire.

The top price was £80 for a pen of Texel hoggs shown by M/s J Dixon & Son, Lessonhall, Wigton. Top price of 176p/kg was paid for a pen of Beltex shown by EM & J Holliday, Clea Mire, Westward.

Averages: SW 176, 135.55; MW 175, 133.13; HW 167, 127.39; others 123, 121.70.

Per Head - Texel £80 Lessonhall (Dixon); Dutch Texel 65 Beck Farm; Suffolk 65.50 Westward Park; Charollais 63 Crakeplace Hall; Cheviot 62.50 Ericstane; Beltex 60 Clea Mire; Mule 53.50 Uldale Hall; Swaledale 43 Fellside House.

Per Kg - Beltex 176 Clea Mire; Texel 175 Lessonhall (Dixon); Dutch Texel 155 Beck Farm; Charollais 146 Crakeplace Hall; Cheviot 133 Roundhill; Mule 120 Howbeck Lodge; Suffolk 117 Westward Parks; Ewes - Texel £47 Beck Farm; Suffolk 44 Whitegate; Half Bred 32 Whitegate; Mule 31 Lane Head; Cheviot 23 Threapland Lees.

Goat - £26 Orthwaite Hall.

The overall sale average for all breeds was 90p/kg, which was 20p/kg up on the previous week when considering that there majority of cows were dairy bred.

The top price of the day was 116.5p/kg for a Limousin X cow from Philip Walker, Beech Croft, which was purchased for £819 by Les Fell of Settle. Holstein Friesian cows topped at 102.5p/kg (£706) for a cow from David Sanderson, Woodside, purchased by Highland Meat Co of Saltcoats, Ayrshire.

The rising trade has also persuaded new buyers to come to the market on a weekly basis.

Prime cattle were on the whole dearer on the week, especially for better quality cattle. Thomas Tyson, East House, topped the trade again at 162.5p/kg for a Limousin heifer at £887.25 to Mark Lindsay of Cockermouth.

Mr Tyson also sold Limousin heifers at 159.5p/kg and 157.5p/kg to Geoff Riley of Burnley and David Pigg, Carrock Meats. Mr Pigg also purchased a quality heifer from Andrew Watson, Lucy Close at 155.5p/kg. Prime bullocks topped at 140.5p/kg for a dairy bred Belgian Blue X from Mick Scott, Mid Farm, Torpenhow, which was purchased at £872.51 by Woodhead Bros of Colne.

Prime bulls were also dearer on the week selling to a top of 124.5p/kg, again for a dairy bred bull from Ian Langcake, Isel Old Park, which was purchased by Tom Bradley of Egremont for £773.15p.

Far more quality cattle were needed on the day to satisfy local butcher demand.

Prime Heifers – Limousin 162.5 East House; Blonde D’Aquitaine 146.5 The Grange; Belgian Blue 122.5 Mid Farm.

Prime Bullocks – Belgian Blue 140.5 Mid Farm; Charolais 129.5 Galemire; Limousin 110.5 Ashley Grove.

Prime Bulls – Charolais 124.5 Isel Old Park; Friesian 103.5 Millom Castle.

Cast Cows – Limousin cows 116.5 Beech Croft; Friesian cows 102.5 Woodside; Belgian Blue heifers 104.5 Beech Croft; Ayrshire cow 93.5 Springfield; Charolais cow 98.5 Crooklands; Friesian heifers 95.5 North Lodge; Limousin bull 68.5 Cragg Farm.

Averages: Premium cattle sold to 162.5p/kg, average 134.7p/kg; commercial cattle sold to 63.5p/kg, average 63.5p/kg. Premium bulls sold to 124.5p/kg, average 112.3p/kg; prime bulls sold to 97.5p/kg, average 95.4p/kg.

A good show of sheep met a keen demand with all fleshed, Farm Assured lambs meeting a strong demand. Cutting non-Farm Assured lambs proved harder to sell, some £4-8 short of Farm Assured lambs. Butchers lambs sold to £80.50 (149.1p/kg) for a pen of 54kg Texel X lambs shown by M/s J G Nevinson, High House, purchased by local butcher Tony Harrison, Cockermouth.

Top pence per kilo of the day 157.6p/kg (£72.50) went to a pen of 46kg Texel X lambs shown by Steven and Michael Park, Millom Castle, again purchased by local butcher, Tony Harrison.

Mule lambs peaked at £60 (130.4p/kg) for pen of 46kg shown by M/s B W Hewitson, Shatton Lodge purchased by Welsh Country Foods Ltd, Anglesey.

Prime Lambs – Texel 80.50 M/s J G Nevinson, High House; Texel X 78.80 T Hindmoor & Son, Thistleton; X Texel 72.80 W H Hurst, Flimby Brow; Continental X 73.20 W E & D E Litt, Millstone Moor; X Continental 68.50 S W & V Bowness, Galemire; Cheviot 67.80 J S Bolton, Wind Hall; Cross 63.80 J W Mumberson, Fern Close; Charollais X 63.80 R M & E R Jackson, Scalesmoor Farm; Suffolk X 63.20 J Shepherd & Son Ltd, Low House; Gritstone X 62.20 R Steele, Dubbs Farm; Lleyn X 60.20 J M & R M Haston, Dearham Hall; Mule 60.00 B W Hewitson, Shatton Lodge.

Cast Ewes – Texel 61.50 A J & L J Haston, Dearham Hall; Suffolk 55.50 M/s Ashburner Ltd, High House; Cheviot 37.50 S W & V Bowness, Galemire; Mule 35.50 M/s Ashburner Ltd, High House.

Rams – Cheviot 51.50 M/s Harrison, Brotherilkeld; Suffolk 49.50 R M & E R Jackson, Scalesmoor; Texel 49.50, 41.50 J Shepherd & Son, Low House.