The latest prime sales across the country

Longtown
AN increased entry of 16 clean cattle and a better show for quality resulted in a dear trade at C and D Auction Marts' prime sale last week, where continental bred types averaged 226p per kg. 
Topping the trade at 251p was a black Limousin heifer from A and JN Story, Newbiggin, and £1387 for a British Blue from Englishtown. 
Also forward were 41 cast cows and prime cattle which reached 119p for a Galloway from The Kennel Club Ltd, Emblehope, and £1132.80 for an Aberdeen-Angus bull from Messrs McKerrow, Darlawhills. 
All classes of prime lambs (5284) sold 10p to 14p dearer on the week to average 185p with SQQs at 187.1p. 
A top price of 270p was paid for Beltex lambs from DS and RC Taylor, Easter Ochtermuthill, Perth, and £112 for a similar pen from R and S Nixon and Co, Oakwood, Selkirk. 

Penrith
ALL classes met an improved trade at Penrith and District Farmers' Mart's prime sale of 3534 sheep last week, where SQQs averaged 187p per kg and 431 lambs sold between 200p and 278p. 
Topping the trade at 278p and £111 was a 40kg Beltex lamb from Messrs Lightfoot, Gillside, which run of lambs averaged £99.79 or 212.79p. 
The 1083 cast ewes and rams reached £110 for Suffolks from Holme Farm.

Huntly
WELL-fleshed prime lambs sold similar on the week at United Auctions' sale of 870 new season lambs at Huntly, where trade reached 180p per kg for 42kg from Wardhead, Strichen and £90 for 62kg Suffolks from Chapelpark, Forgue. 
All classes of ewes cashed in at increased values, with some up by £5-£8 on the week. They hit a top of £115 for Suffolks from 6 Ewen Crescent and £105 for Texel rams from Davmor. 

Cockermouth
LAST Wednesday, Mitchells Auction Company had forward 126 cattle at its prime sale and staged their annual Christmas show of prime bulls and cull cows. 
The championship went to a Limousin bull from A and L Gott, Prospect House, which later made 230p per kg or £1449, while the reserve was a British Blue cow from KD Harryman, Keskadale, which made 217.50p or £1500.75. 
Topping the trade however at 237.50p was a Limousin bull from J Roe, Coulbeck, and £1589.46 for the same weighing 708kg from D and MA Wilson, Lamplugh Hall. 
Also sold on the day was 1649 prime lambs and with the trade having increased by
more than 6.5p last week, SQQs averaged 186.06p.
Trade hit a top of 231.70p for a pen of 41kg Texel lambs from J and E Scott, Mid Farm, and £102 for 47kg Texels from E and P Skelton, Sycamore House. 

Thainstone
HEIFERS topped Aberdeen and Northern Marts' sale of 34 prime cattle last week, when a 600kg Limousin from Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud, made 255p per kg and £1530. 
While the 14 heifers averaged 219.3p (-5p), four bullocks levelled at 211.6p (-3.1p) and reached 233p for a 580kg Limousin from Waterside of Forbes, Alford, and £1505.10 for an 870kg Charolais from Farmton, Tough. 
The six young bulls forward averaged 148.8p (+0.2p) and reached 187p and £1776.50 for a 950kg Limousin from Hillocks Farm, Keig. 
On the same day, the firm sold 746 new season lambs which averaged 164.1p (+2.6p) with SQQs at 167.2p (+1.4p) and peaked at 188.4p for 43kg Texels from New Moan, Harray, and £102 for 58kg Texels from Nistaben, Harray. 

Stirling (Cal)
A TOP price per head of £1744 was paid at Caledonian Marts' sale of 119 prime cattle last week, where a larger show of bullocks and heifers sold dearer on the week. 
That was paid for a Limousin bullock from South Flanders, Kippen. 
Averaging 227p per kg, bullocks also sold to 255p for the same from Brockwoodlees, Cannonbie, while the sale of heifers levelled at 233p and reached 268p and £1597 for a Limousin from Brockwoodlees. 
Levelling at118p, beef cows sold to 167p for a Limousin from D and L Graham, Mains of Burnbank, and £1330 for the same from J McAlister, Wester Thomaston, Banknock. Dairy cows peaked at 102p from W and M Wylie, Broompark, Torphichen, and £750 from J and J Kinloch, Walton, Cardross, to average 95p. 
Also forward was a strong show of 35 beef and dairy calves where trade reached £320 for a Limousin heifer from Mains of Burnbank. 
On Tuesday, the firm's sale of 1653 prime lambs sold much sharper on the week to average 172.6p (+4.9p). They peaked at £103 for 55kg Beltex crosses from WM Bell and Son, Craigend, while a pen of 44kg Beltex from Bankhead Farmers made 232p. 
Among the 739 cast ewes and tups, 157 heavy ewes levelled at £81.12 and sold to £128 for a Texel from RJ Carruth, High Auchensale, Kilbarchan, while 212 export averaged £40.26. 

Stirling (UA)
SOME 4778 prime lambs sold through United Auctions last Thursday to average 169.89p per kg.
They sold to £106 for Texels from South Flanders, while 1301 ewes and rams peaked at £132 twice for Texel ewes from Cherryfield and Texel rams from Catcune. 

Ayr
CRAIG Wilson sold 2082 prime lambs at its Ayr centre on Monday, where trade reached 200p per kg twice for a pen of 44kg Beltex from J Kennedy and Son, Perryston, Dunure, and for a similar pen from J and J Thomson, Mossend, Kirkmichael. 
Averaging 174.5p (+4.1p on the week), they also reached £91 for Beltex from Langshaw. 
The sale of 888 cast ewes and tups saw heavy ewes average £69.14 and top at £145.50 for a pen of Texel ewes from I Gatherer, Ochiltree Mains, while light ewes peaked at £57 for a pen of Blackfaces from Garpel Farm, Greenock Mains, Muirkirk, to average £36.12. 
Charolais tups from S Rorrison, Dallowie, Patna, topped at £111. 
On Tuesday, the firm held its Christmas show and sale of prime cattle, cast cows and bulls, where all classes met a decent trade.
The championship was awarded to a 570kg black Limousin cross heifer from Paul McHarg, Crofthead, which made 410p or £2337 to butcher, Charles Donaldson, West Kilbride. Reserve was the YF champion, a British Blue cross heifer from Gwen Smith, Dykefield. Weighing 675kg, she sold for £1991.25 or 295p to judge, Sam Carlisle, Border Meats. 
Outwith the show and sale, nine bullocks averaged 249.3p or £1570.48, while 29 heifers levelled at 257.8p or £1428.87. 
Champion amongst the young calves was a Simmental cross heifer from R McFadzean and Son, Adamcroft, which sold for £430 to judge, David Bryson. 

St Boswells
PRIME cattle reached a top of 266p per kg at Harrison and Hetherington's sale this week for an entry from Greenknowe, while another from Bee Edge made £1519.80. 
The 18 bullocks were back by 5p on the week when they averaged 216p, while 32 heifers levelled out at 236p (+7p). 
The 62 cast cows averaged 136p and peaked at 183p from Haltree and £1554 for another from Haughhead. 
Levelling at 182p (+6p), prime lambs sold sharper on the week and reached £121 for Texels from the Lee and 216.7p for Beltex from Threebunford.
Cast ewes (633) sold similar on the week and peaked at £103 for Suffolk cross ewes from Butterdean, while heavy ewes averaged £77 and light ewes peaked at £67 for Cheviots, to level at £39. 

Dingwall
SOLD at Dingwall and Highland Marts' prime sale on Tuesday was 10 bullocks which averaged 213.0p (-12.8p) and 29 heifers at 210.6p (-28.6p). 
Bullocks reached 219p for a 525kg Limousin cross from Udale, Poyntzfield, and £1244.90 for a 590kg Charolais cross from Easter Sheep Park, Balblair.
Topping the heifers at 220p was a British Blue cross weighing 475kg from Udale and at £1430.80 was a 730kg Limousin cross from Bridgend, Dingwall. 
In the sheep, 594 prime lambs averaged 164.8p (-0.5p) and peaked at 179.3p for 41kg Texel crosses from Lochdhu, Nairn, and £80 for 45kg Texels also from Lochdhu. The 430 SQQs levelled at 167.1p (-2.8p). 

Castle Douglas
A LARGER show of 1769 prime lambs sold through Wallets Marts on Tuesday, where they averaged 173.79p per kg and peaked at £100 for Beltex from Messrs McKie, Finniness, and 239p from Messrs Bunting, Bridgestone. 
Topping the heavy lambs at £90 was a pen of Texel lambs from Messrs Brown, Drumcoltran. 
The 314 cast sheep peaked at £95 for a Texel tup from Castlehill. 

Hopes
CATTLE met a steady trade at Hopes Auction Company's prime sale on Tuesday, where a top price of 241.5p per kg was paid for a Limousin heifer on two occasions.
First to go under the hammer was one from DA Harrison, Hill House, Aldoth, and the other from JJ Crichton, Loughrigg, Egremont.
Another Limousin from Hill House also produced the top price per head at £1772.43. 
In the bullocks, trade reached 224.5p and £1421.09 for a Limousin from Messrs Hewetson, Lords Close, Allonby. 
The Christmas show and sale of prime bulls and heifers, saw the champion, a 698kg Limousin bull from Hill House top at 239.5p or £1675, while the reserve champion from TA Byres, Ellen Bank, made 227.5p or £1665. 
Another good show of lambs topped at £143 for Dutch Texels from D and HE Batty, Cobble Croft, and 344.7p for 38kg Beltex from M Bindloss and Son, Shap Abbey, while ewes sold to £101 for Texels from Thistlebottom, Caldbeck.