On Tuesday, Hexham and Northern Mart held their weekly sale of prime sheep and cattle.

Four clean heifers forward from Mrs VS Allgood, Nunwick with plenty of weight present selling to 209.5ppk.

Limousin Heifers: £1242.34, £1241.33, £1232.91 & £1211.80 Nunwick 209.5p, 207.5p, 202.5p & 199.5p Nunwick.

OTM. A slightly poorer show of cast cows this week with more older and leaner sorts forward. Trade though met last week’s rates and some would be a touch dearer with the sale averaging 123.8ppk (+10p) Sale topped by a Simmental x from A Willey, Broomfield Farm selling to 163.5ppk.

Limousin: £1052.10 Allenshields, £1033.29 Kingswood, £1010.63 Ouston, £936.66 Thockrington, £933.47 Longlea, £873.55 Thockrington, £851.25 Warksfield Head 157.5p Allenshields, 144.5p Longlea, 137.5p Ouston, 133.5p Kingswood, 119.5p & 116.5p Thockrington. Angus: £904.40 & £811.40 West Shields, £801.63 Grasslees 161.5p West Shields, 137.5p Grasslees. British Blue: £1092 Longlea, £1040.03 Glebe Farm, £888.75 Colepike, £881.10 Glebe Farm, £822.25 Gofton Farm, £809.68 Colepike 141.5p Glebe Farm, 136.5p Longlea, 133.5p Glebe Farm. Simmental: £1187.84 & £1026.78 Broomfield, £803.88 West Shields 163.5p & 156.5p. Broomfield Beef Shorthorn: £837.80 & 123.5p West Shields. Saler: £803.52 West Shields.

Prime sheep and hoggs. A much better show of hoggs forward and an increased demand for all classes with an overall average of 201.5p selling to 279.8p from Breckon Hill.

Texel x: £117.50 & £113 Breckon Hill, £111.50, £106.50 (x3), £100.50 & £99.50 Hilltop Farm, £97 Breckon Hill, £94 East Matfen, £93 Breckon Hill, £90 Low West House, £88.50 Great Tosson & Palm Strothers, £88 East Matfen, West Shields & Palm Strothers (x2), £87.50 East Matfen, West Shields & Palm Strothers (x2), £87 Morrowfield, £86.50 East Matfen & Baal Hill, £84.50 Great Tosson Cottage, £84 (x2) West Shields 279.8p & 269.1p Breckon Hill, 266.3p, 265.5p, 242.1p (x2), 239.3p & 231.4p Hilltop Farm, 231p Breckon Hill, 230.3p East Matfen, 226.8p Breckon Hill, 216.2p & 214.6p Palm Strothers, 209.5p East Matfen, 205p & 204.6p Low West House, 201.2p East Matfen, 197.7p Morrowfield, 196.7p Palm Strothers, 195.1p West Shields, 190.5p Baal Hill & Palm Strothers, 190.2p Palm Strothers, 189.2p & 188.6p Great Tosson Cottage, 188.3p Great Tosson, 188.1p Baal Hill, 188p East Matfen. Dutch Texel x: £94 & £90 (x2) Willimoteswick 225p & 223.8p Willimoteswick. Suffolk x: £90 (x2) & £86.50 Morrowfield 180.2p & 173.1p Morrowfield. Beltex x: £109 & 247.7p Breckon Hill. Charollais x: £102 & 170p Dalton Hill Head. Vendeen x: £106 (x2), £105 & £100 Dalton Hill Head 212p, 196.1p, 194.4p & 163.1p Dalton Hill Head. Leicester: £84 & 182.6p Baal Hill. Cheviot x: £90 & 200p Breckon Hill. Mule: £85.50 & £83.50 Baal Hill, £83 & £80.50 Great Tosson Cottage, £79 & £70 Baal Hill 189.2p & 183.7p. Baal Hill, 183p Great Tosson Cottage, 178.1p & 174p Baal Hill, 172.9p Great Tosson Cottage. Blackface: £74.50 Great Tosson Cottage, £62 Great Tosson 186.3p Great Tosson Cottage, 159p Great Tosson. Swaledale: £65 & 175.7p Baal Hill. Hebridean: £74 & 189.7p Comb Hills.

Cast Ewes and Rams. Texel x: £69 Longlea. Shropshire x: £65 Dalton Hill Head. Mule: £75 Morrowfield.

On Thursday 14 and Friday 15 March, Hexham and Northern Mart held their tenth anniversary of the Young Farmers Wintering Calf competition, and the culmination for the 2018/19 participants which saw £35,160.00 invested by the company in the stockmen and women of the future.

The competition saw an increase of competitors on the year with 39 entrants purchasing 12 steers and 27 heifers at one of six sales held at Hexham Mart in October last year with the cattle being taken home to various farms in Northumberland but also County Durham and Cumbria as well for the young farmers to tend them over the winter.

Class 1 - Newton Rigg Students.

1st: Sam Wilson, Butsfield YFC with a Limx Hfr from Harlow Bower. 2nd: Thomas Wilson, Butsfield YFC with a Limx Hfr from Harlow Bower. 3rd: Liam Stephenson, Haltwhistle YFC with a Blondx Hfr from Jolly Body.

Class 2 - Any Other Cross Bred Calf. 1st: Liam Stephenson, Haltwhistle YFC with a Blondx Hfr from Jolly Body.

Class 3 – British Blue Cross Steer. 1st: Danny McGregor, Kirklinton YFC with a steer from Woodhall.

Class 4 – British Blue Cross Heifer. 1st: James Thompson, Butsfield YFC with a heifer from Boghall. 2nd: Sarah Willey, Whitley Chapel YFC with a heifer from Woodhall. 3rd: Lewis Wood, Stamfordham YFC with a heifer from Warksfieldhead.

Class 5 – Limousin Cross Steer. 1st: Matthew Walton, Coquetdale YFC with a steer from Kingside. 2nd : Ashleigh Cousin, Haltwhistle YFC with a steer from Willimoteswick. 3rd : Gemma Common, Whitley Chapel YFC with a steer from Redburn.

Class 6 – Limousin Cross Heifer. 1st : Ben Moralee, Haltwhistle YFC with a heifer from The Lands. 2 nd: Jodie Wigham, Haltwhistle YFC with a heifer from Agars Hill. 3rd : Michelle Athey, Haltwhistle YFC with a heifer from Cleughfoot.

On Friday Hexham and Northern Mart held their weekly sale of store cattle and prime sheep, with an entry of 440 head of store cattle which included the monthly special sale of native breed cattle and the annual prize show and sale of Young Farmers overwintered calves.

The entry of forward cattle sold well although easier on the week, in line with the national trend. The sale peaked at £1260 for a hefty Limousin cross steer at 20 months of age from Geoff Ogle, Blackburn and this one was followed by a Charolais cross the same age which sold for £1255 and led the annual consignment from Messrs Thompson, The Whins. The leading native breed cattle were an Angus steer at £1215 from Brian Urwin, Lynnshields and this one too led the annual consignment from the Park Village based vendor whilst an Angus heifer from John Baty, Catreen at 22 months hit £1200.

Both these black beasts were sired by pedigree registered Angus bulls as is the requirement nowadays from a number of national processors.

Besides a superb show of Young Farmers calves an undoubted highlight of the sale was the near perfect run of yearling Charolais cross steers from James Forster, East Wharmley, Hexham.

A simply superb packet of 15 bullocks, all presented in uniformed fashion attracted great attention later in the sale and sold to a fast trade throughout topping at £1225 and averaging a mighty £1128 cementing Hexham as the leading centre in the region at which to consign top quality suckler bred cattle for sale.

Cattle 23 – 30 months. Charolais x steers: £1200, £1195 (X2), £1180, £1120 & £1100 Hay A Park, £1095 Broomfield. Limousin x steers: £1185 Hay A Park, £1180 Luns House (x2), £1160 Lynnshield, £1150 Low Staples, £1130 Luns House, £1100 Luns House & Hay A Park, £1030 Fallowfield. Limousin x heifers: £1050 Low Staples. Simmental x steers: £1050 Fallowfield. Angus x steers: £1200 & £1120 Lynnshield. Angus x heifers: £1200 & £980. Catreen Shorthorn steers: £1185 & £1110 Hay A. Park Montbeliarde x heifers: £1150 & £1090 Broomfield. Hereford x steers: £1165 Broomfield.

Cattle 17 – 22 months. Charolais x steers: £1235, £1240, £1215, £1200, £1185, £1180, £1165, £1160, £1150 (x2), £1145, £1130, £1125 (x2) & £1115. Whins Farm £1110. Hay A Park & Lowfield, £1080, £1070 (x2) & £1040 Whins Farm. Charolais x heifers: £1065 Broomfield. Limousin x steers: £1260 & £1190 (x2) Blackburn, £1095 Low Staples, £1080 & £1070 Sweethope. Limousin x heifers: £1130 Farnbury, £995 Halfway House. British Blue x steers: £1230 & £1200 Blackburn. British Blue x heifers: £1055, £1045 & £960 Halfway House. Simmental x steers: £1150 & £1100 (x2) Broomfield, £1060 Hay A Park, £1025 & £1005 Raburn Cottage. Simmental x heifers: £1020 Broomfield, £925 Sweethope. Angus x steers: £1215, £1140 & £1125 Lynnshield, £1100 Whins Farm, £1090 Lowfield, £1085 Whins Farm, £1040 & £1005. Lynnshield Angus x heifers: £950 Bollihope Shield. Shorthorn steers: £1080 Fallowfield. South Devon steers: £1075 Fallowfield, £1060 Low Staples. Hereford x steers: 1080 Broomfield.

Cattle 11 – 16 months. Charolais x steers: £1225 & £1165 East Wharmley, £1150 Whins Farm, £1145, £1130 (x2), £1125 (x2), £1120 (x2), £1110 & £1085 East Wharmley, £1080 Whins Farm & East Wharmley. Limousin x steers: £1200 & £1105 Longlea, £1085 Sweethope, £1075 & £1065 Farnbury, £1055 Greenshields, £1050 The Park & Lowfield, £1030 Lowfield, £1025 Farnbury, £1015 Lowfield, £1010 North Cocklake, £1000 Flotterton Cottage, £990 The Park (x2) & The Granary, £980 (x2) Sweethope. Limousin x heifers: £1100 High Shipley, £1085 East Unthank, £1050 Flotterton Cottage, £980 Well House, £970 The Park. British Blue x heifers: £1005 East Unthank. Angus x steers: £1155 & £1100 East Butsfield, £1100 Duck Lane, £1090 East Butsfield, £1080 Duck Lane, £1065 Ross Farm, £1060 East Butsfield (x2) & Lowfield, £1035 Ross Farm & Duck Lane, £1030 Ross Farm, £1020 Duck Lane & Bollihope Shield, £985 Raburn Cottage & Old Town, £980 Lowfield & Byreside. Angus x heifers: £900 Old Town. Hereford x steers: £920 Greenfield.

Cattle 10 months and under. Charolais x steers: £980 & £975 Throp Hill. Limousin x steers: £1025 Farnbury, £980 Longlea Simmental x steers: £950 Moorgair. Angus x steers: £1080 & £980.

349 sheep were put forward, which saw all cast sheep dearer on the week especially leaner horned ewes which would see a rise of £5-£8 each.

Mule ewes also easily cashed and saw a high of £86 from M/s JG Clarkson & Ptns, Elrington Hall. Texel x ewes saw a high of £128 from M/s AG & D Bissett, Middle Dukesfield. Swales topped the hill sheep section with tups from R&P O’Kane, Closehead selling to £80.

Texel: £128 Middle Dukesfield, £108 Fellside, £91 White House Birtley, £88 Middle Dukesfield, £84 Grindon Hill. Texel x: 116 Duck Lane & Great Chesters, £102 Closehead, £98 Colwell Hill, £89 Great Chesters, £88 Closehead, £87 Elrington Hall, £86 Low Houselope, £85 Salmonswell & Middle Dukesfield, £81 Great Chesters & Milfield Demesne. Suffolk x: £98 Rosebrough. Beltex x: £80 & £79 Jolly Body. Leicester: £92 Agars Hill. Cheviot: £59 East Farm. Mule: £86 Elrington Hall, £85 Duck Lane & Colwell Hill, £84 Great Chesters, £80 Duck Lane, £75 Great Chesters, £74 Causey Burn, £60 Fellside. Blackface: £74 Closehead, £69 White House Birtley, £68 Blakehope, White House Birtley & Barron House, £67 East Farm, £61 Holling Hill, £59 East Farm, Monkridge Hill & Featherwood (x2). Swaledale: £80 Closehead, £67 Buckshot, £57 Colwell Hill, £52 Agars Hill, £50 Blakehope. Crossbred: £112 Elrington Hall, £84 White House Birtley.

1115 catalogued hoggs forward this week would be slightly sharper on the week, especially bigger hoggs. The poorer end of hoggs also saw a rise on the week.

Texel x: £116 Chesters, £84 Greyside, £83 Chesters, £81 Greyside, £80 Elrington Hall, £79.50 High Warden & Highside, £78 Highside, £71.50 Greyside, Bolam West Houses & Keepershield, £70 New Hall & Elrington Hall, £69 New Hall & Bolam West Houses, £68.50 Bolam West Houses, £68 Grindon Hill, Salmonswell, Keepershield & Kimmerston. Suffolk: £65 New Hall. Suffolk x: £78 Grindon Hill, £70 Kimmerston, £67 New Hall, £64 East Farm. Beltex x: £58 Thornton Tower. Cheviot x: £80.50, £79.50 & £74.50. Flotterton Mule: £75 Rosebrough, £73.50 Greyside, £67 Highside, £64 Fala Hill.