AT THEIR weekly sale on Tuesday, Hexham Auction Mart had a plainer show of prime cattle forward.

Prime cattle prices. Heifers per head: Charolais to £1,153.01 and £1,134.03 Flotterton. Per kilo: Charolais to 208.5p Flotterton. Limousin to 200.5p Low Staples.

There were similar numbers of over 30 months forward sold well to average £800.05 and 120.8p. Trade sharper than last week with more bidding at ringside. More cows required to satisfy demand.

Over 30 month prices per head: Hereford to £943.54 Old Hall Gate. British Blue to 923.89 Flotterton, £908.28 and £907.80 Spittalshield and £859.05 Allenshields. Limousin to £901.23 Ogle Castle and £850.70 Sunniside. Per kilo: Limousin to 165.5p and 141.5p Blakelaw, 139.5p Flotterton, 129.5p and 125.5p Carry House and 127.5p East Knitsley. Bazadaise to 132.5p Flotterton. British Blue to 127.5p Spittalshield and 124.5p Allenshields. Angus to 125.5p West Shields and Flotterton and 122.5p West Shields.

Prime sheep sale

Prime lambs had similar numbers forward but more weight about. Trade again easier on the week following the national trend.

Prime lamb prices. Texel x per head to £71 and £70 West Moorhouses, £68.50, £65.50(2) and £64 Lingey Field, £67.50 Three Farms, £65.80(2) West Heddon, £65 High Eshells (2) and Linacres (2), £64.50 £64 Nunwick, £64 Stotsfold and Low Brunton. Per kilo to 167.1p, 165.8p, 162.8p, 160.3p, 159.8p(2), 158.8p and 152p Lingey Field, 158.5p Watch Currock, 162.5p & 157.5p West Moorhouses, 155p, 152.4p and 150p Lingey Field, 155p and 150p St Oswalds, 155p Little Swinburne, 154.9p Yatesfield, 154.8p High Eshells and 150p Fell Lane. Suffolk x per head to £65, £62 and £57.80 Grindon Hill, £65 and £57.50 Salmonfield, £63.50, £60, £59.20, £58 and £57.80 South Clarewood, £61.40, £61 and £57 Halton Red House, £60.80 Low Brunton, £58.50 West Shields, £58 Rusheylaw and Merryshields Stocksfield and £57 Steel Hall. Per kilo to 138.3p and 127.8p Salmonfield, 134.9p and 131.4p Rusheylaw, 132.6p Steel Hall, 130.4p South Clarewood, 129.6p Halton Red House, 129.3p(2) Merryshields Stocksfield, 128.6p Lee Hall and 128.4p Grindon Hill. Beltex x per head to £65(2) and £61 West Moorhouses and £62, £60 and £59 Grange House. Per kilo to 162.5p and 152.5p West Moorhouses and 150p Grange House. Mule per head to £60 South Clarewood, £59.50 and £55.50 Hole Farm and £52 Hotbank. Per kilo to 120.7p and 119p Hole Farm. Bleu D’Maine x per head to £60(2) Lough Green. Charollais x per head £60 Rusheylaw. Hampshire to £53.50 Shaftoe Moor.

In the cast ewes and rams there was a small selection of ewes sold to a faster trade on the week with lean meated ewes still very much in demand. All classes of ewes wanted for both Tuesday and Friday’s sales at this centre.

Cast ewe prices per head: Texel x to £97 Lough Green, £70, £66, £64, £60 and £56 Three Farms, £70 and £59 Rusheylaw and £57 Grange House.

Suffolk x to £80 and £76 Rusheylaw.

Bleu D’Maine x to £80 Lough Green.

Mule to £60 and £57 Hedchester Law and £52 Ridley Farm and Rusheylaw.

FOR their weekly sale on Friday, Hexham and Northern Marts had forward 110 head of store cattle and suckled calves.

Trade for all classes of cattle once again sold at the very high levels seen at the Hexham Centre and many more could have been sold to the full ring of buyers, many of whom went home empty handed.

The top price pushed upwards again with a Charolais x steer at 22 months at £1,620. This was sold by regular consignors Messrs Eggleston, Thornham Hill, who also topped last week. Five steers from this home averaged a thumping £1,508 and all but one purchased by Messrs D.N.O. Scott, Newton Villa.

A tremendous Limousin from Messrs A. and D. Proctor, Swarland Old Hall, topped the female section which sold at £1,390 to Paul Foley.

Mid aged cattle sold again at high rates with another great run of 13/14 month steers from Ian and Graham Thompson, Springwell Cottage selling to a top of £1,475 with 10 averaging a massive £1,363.50. The consignment was equally purchased by our weekly purchasers J.K. Otterburn and regular buyer Tom Barton, Wigan.

Cattle prices, 23-30 months. Charolais x: Steers to £1,620 Thornham Hill, £1,510 Lunns House and £1,160 Thrunton Lowfield. Heifers to £1,005 Little Harle. Limousin x: Steers to £1,500 Thornham Hill, £1,440 and £1,400 Sunniside, £1,280 Steel Hall and £1,200 East Newham. Heifers to £1,390 Swarland Old Hall and £1,170 and £1,070 East Newham. British Blue x steers to £1,270 Steel Hall. Cattle 17-22 months. Charolais x: Steers to £1,560, £1,500 and £1,360 Thornham Hill. Limousin x: Steers to £1,430, £1,400 and £1,240 Lunns House, £1,290 Springwell Cottage and £1,080 East Newham. Heifers to £1,060 East Newham and £1,000 Little Harle. Blonde x heifers to £1,380, £1,320 and £1,270 Merryshields. Montbeliarde x steers to £1,180 Steel Hall. Angus x steers to £1,120 and £1,055 Low Bishopton. British Blue x heifers to £990 Blakelaw. Cattle 11-16 months. Limousin x: Steers to £1,475, £1,465, £1,440, £1,415, £1,370, £1,360, £1,280(2) and £1,260 Springwell and £1,100 and £900 Stotsfold. Heifers to £1,080, £1,045 and £1,040 Swarland Old Hall, £1,030 East Newham and £990(2) Hawksteel. Simmental x steers to £1,100 and £1,000 Thrunton Lowfield. Charolais x: Steers to £1,000 and £940 Blakelaw and £960 Townfoot Woodburn. Heifers to £1,260 Merryshields. Cattle 10 months and under. Charolais x steers to £1,010 Townfoot Woodburn. British Blue x steers to £970 Highfield.

Store sheep sale

Hexham and Northern Marts held their weekly sale of 430 head of cast ewes and store lambs.

Feeding ewe prices: Texel x to £92, £76 and £70 Hownsgill. Leicester to £72 and £70 Low Struthers. Mule to £57 Hownsgill, £51 Low Struthers and £50 Sweethope. Swaledale to £38 Sweethope.

There was a smaller entry of store lambs on the week met the same consignment of purchasers.

Topping at £58.50 for a pen of Texel x lambs consigned by Messrs B.A. Swallow, Dukesfield Hall.

Store lamb prices: Texel x to £58.50, £58, £54.50 and £54 Dukesfield Hall, £57 and £50 Stone Hall, £56, £55(2) and £54 Colt Crag, £54 High Shipley, £51.50 Belsay Barns. Hampshire x to £56.50 Low Staples. Suffolk x to £43 Milfield Demesne.

LAST Wednesday, Scots Gap Auction Mart sold 516 head at their weekly sale of prime lambs and cast ewes.

As seen earlier in the week trade for all classes fell yet again and saw lambs average £63.84 for 44.2kg with an SQQ figure of 150.3ppkg. The sale peaked at £75 and then £71 for two pens of heavy Texel lambs from Douglas Green, Longlea, Netherwitton, with his first consignment of spring lambs from his new holding.

Peter Rowcroft presented a super pen of 47 Texel x lambs at 40kg on behalf of Mrs Allgood, Nunwick, which sold well at 167.5ppkg. All three of these leading pens were purchased by Jamie Curle, Berwick on Tweed.

Leading prices. Prime lambs. Texel x per head to £75 and £71 Longlea, £67 Nunwick, £66(2) and £64.50(2) New Houses, £66(2) High Baulk and £65 Thornbrough, Catreen and Monkseaton. Per kilo to 167.5p Nunwick, 164.1p and 162.5p Thornbrough, 164.1p and 156.1p Fell Lane, 162.2p and 159p Monkseaton, 157.3p New Houses, 156.1p Catreen, 153.7p and 150.0p East Acres and 150.0p High Baulk. Suffolk x per head to £70 and £67.50 Chesters, £69 and £62 Gallowhill, £64 Nunwick and £62 New Houses. Per kilo to 145.5p Nunwick, 140.6p Chesters and 139.0p East Acres. Charollais to £66(2) South Farm.

Cast sheep sale. Ewes per head: Texel to £80(2) Monkseaton and £71 East Acres. Suffolk to £75 East Acres. Mule to £60 Monkseaton, £56(2) and £54 Whittonstone and £53 East Beechfield. Blackface to £49 Whittonstone.

FOR their weekly Longtown primestock sale last Thursday, the Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers’ Mart had forward 15 prime cattle and 14 over 30 month cattle, along with 2,517 prime lambs and 5,219 cast ewes and rams.

Prime cattle met a similar trade, plenty of keen bidders and more required. Top of 218.5p for a Limousin heifer shown by D.J. Garthwaite and Son, Wyseby Hill Cottage, purchased by Highgate Turkeys, Penrith.

Cows sold similar to national trend topping at 130p for an Angus cow from T.N. Cavers and Co., Sorbie.

Another good show of 2,517 prime lambs were forward to the usual ring of buyers, all classes easier on the week in line with national trend, with a respectable average in comparison to many other centres of 148p overall. Top price of £87 per head for Texels from Hillhead and to 178.6p per kilo for Continentals from High House.

A smaller show of 5,219 cast ewes and rams were forward to a full ring of buyers old and new, with all classes a shade easier on the week (£2-£3), but still keenly sought after.

Cattle averages. Steers: Medium, 214.5p (211.3p). Heifers: Medium, 218.5p (202.3p); heavy, 209.5p (199.4p).

Sheep averages. Lambs: Light, 178.6p (170.0p); standard, 173.0p (153.2p); medium, 172.0p (145.6p); heavy, 152.0p (135.3p); o/weight, 136.0p (133.2p.)

Ewes: Light, £77.00 (£42.99); heavy, £132.00 (£72.04). Cast rams: £173.00 (£94.94).

LAST Tuesday the Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers’ Mart at their fortnightly Longtown store and breeding cattle sale.

Another good entry of store cattle again met a fantastic trade. An ever growing demand here at Longtown means more cattle are required on a fortnightly basis. Top price per head was £1,140 for a pair of Limousin bullocks sold by D.H.S. Woodhouse, Gibstown, then £1,120 from G.B. Forster, Desoglin. Aberdeen Angus bullocks sold to £1.095 from P.A.D. Boyle and Sons, Mallsgate Hall.

Principal prices. Bullocks: Limousin £1,140, £1,090 Gibstown, £1,120, £1,090, £820 Desoglin, £975 Smallholms, £920, £890 Thomasdene and £700 Penchrise. Angus £1,095, £765 Mallsgate Hall, £1,020, £1,000 Westwinds, £865 The Coach House, £850 Desoglin. Devon £1,075, £820 Howcleugh. Hereford £1,010, £1,000 Westwinds. Heifers: Limousin £885, £850 Smallholms and £795 Thomasdene. Hereford £880, £700 The Coach House. Angus £730 The Coach House. Simmental £710 The Coach House.

Breeding cattle. Cow and heifer calf: White Shorthorn £740 Greenley Cleugh. Galloway x £710 Greenley Cleugh.