Farming

By Alec Ross

Prime lambs at Ayr yesterday remained easily cashed, averaging over 402p/kg or £178/head and sold to £224/head for a pen of three Texels from Farden or 448p/kg for Beltex crosses from Knockterra Farming.

Prime and cast sheep also sold well, with medium meat ewes in particular meeting good demand. Texel crosses from Glenconnor topped the trade at £187/head, with type selling to £172 for a Suffolk from Dalhowan.

On Thursday, bullocks averaged 292p/kg or £1,240/head while heifers averaged 279p/kg or £1121/head and sold to £1,875/head for Simmentals from Stoopshill or 362p/kg for Charolais from Enoch, while heifers peaked at £1,705/head or 331p/kg for Limousins from Auchentibbert. And ewes with lambs at foot sold easily, with Eskechraggan leading the sale at £132 for hoggs with single lambs.

Prime beef-bred heifers at Lanark yesterday dropped slightly on the week to an average of 296p/kg and sold to 345p/kg for a Limousin cross, while black and white bullocks averaged 232p/kg and sold to 258p/kg for a Friesian cross. Cast beef and dairy cows held up well at 199p/kg and 163p/kg respectively, and an average of 402p/kg represented a 7p drop for new season lambs that sold to £254/head or 516p/kg. And hoggets averaged 307p/kg and sold to 389p/kg or £224/head.

Cast cows remained in demand at Longtown on Thursday, with prices peaking at 188p/kg for a Limousin from Waterhead of Dryfe or £1,165/head for cows of the same breed from Greensburn.

Demand was also strong for new season lambs, with Texels from DJL Livestock leading the way at 482p/kg and Suffolks from The Land selling to £232/head. The heaviest hoggs were easiest to sell and peaked at 431p/kg for Hallbankgate Farms or £270/head for Texels from Langdyke Cottage. And ewes sold to £300/head for Texels from Cole Hill.