Farming
By Alec Ross
Bullocks at St Boswells yesterday averaged 288p/kg and sold to 316p/kg, while heifers averaged 282p/kg and sold to 338p/kg.
Cast cows continued to meet with demand, averaging 167p/kg and selling to 247p/kg or a top price of £1,808. Demand for lambs rose sharply on the week to an average of 269p/kg or £123/head and sold to £163 for Texels or 329p/kg for Beltexes. Cast sheep averaged £81/head and sold to £187 for Texel tups, while heavy ewes averaged £117 and light ewes sold to £115 for a North Country Cheviot.
Prime heifers at Carlisle yesterday rose slightly on the week to average 286p/kg, and sold to 326p/kg, although bullocks dropped sharply to an average of 259p/kg and a peak of 314p/kg.
Bulls of all types rose on the week to an overall average of 235p/kg, as did cast dairy cows which averaged 129p/kg and sold to 210p/kg.
As elsewhere, vendors of prime lambs went home happy as prices rose by 9p/kg to an overall average of 275p/kg. Lowland ewes dropped slightly to an average of £93/head and sold to £154 for a Beltex, while Blackies rose by 6p to average £60/head and sold to £84.
Prime beef-bred heifers at Lanark yesterday rose by 6p on the week to average 309p/kg and sold to 362p/kg for a Limousin, while bullocks rose by 4p on the week to an average of 296p/kg and topped at 316p/kg, again for a Limousin.
Cast cows were largely unchanged on the week at 162p/kg and 129pkg for beef and dairy types respectively. In line with an encouraging national trend, new season lambs were in big demand and rose by 15p to average 264p/kg and peaked at £164/head or 302p/kg.
Blackface tups at Fort William on Saturday met an outstanding trade, with the Ochilmore flock from Messrs Muirhead leading the sale at £6,000 for tup lambs sold to Messrs Murray, Lurgan, while shearlings averaged £456/head and sold to £5,500 for Midlock, Lanark.
Cast cows at Longtown easily met with recent rates, topping at £1,072 for Heifers from North Howes while Galloways from Eskdalemuir Forestry sold to £1,001 and Whitebred Shorthorns from Bodesbeck sold to 184p/kg.
A smaller showing of lambs led to increased demand and improved trade across the board and a premium being paid for the heaviest and best export types. The sale peaked at 341p/kg for Beltexes from Scobshaugh or £160/head for Texels from Tathill Cottage and Dutch Spotteds from Dappled View.
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