Primestock met a strong demand at CCM’s show and sale at Skipton on Monday, where old season lambs were the dearest seen for some time, with no fewer than 44 pens selling at or above the £3 per kg mark, and 2747 head averaged £103.89 or 242p per kg.

Champion was a pen of five home-bred 43kg Beltex cross lambs from Brian Lund, Walshaw, Hebdon Bridge, which realised £136 per head.

Top price however, was £160 or 390p per kg paid for the reserve winners, the second prize continental lambs from Joanne Andrews, Easingwold. This pen of five Beltex cross lambs scaled 41kg.

Matching that £160 per head sale was a pen of Beltex from Michael Hall, Airton, which made 347p per kg.

The 320 cast sheep were topped at £134.50 for a pen of Texels from Thomas Charnley, of Laneshawbridge. Cull ewes averaged £68.26 overall and cast rams at £73.91.

Supreme amongst the cattle, was a 590kg Limousin cross heifer from North Craven hill farmers, Francis and Andrew Smith, Lodge Farm, which sold for the top price per head and per kg of £1572 and 266p.

Reserve champion was the second prize Limousin heifer to the champion, a 580kg entry from Paul Baines and his father Jim who farm in Widdop. Their winner made £1488, or 256.5p per kg

Top gross price amongst the steers was the third prize entry, a 615kg British Blue cross from Threshfield brothers Charles and Richard Kitching, which made £1368 and 222.5p.

Cast cattle met a sharper trade for an increased turnout of 34 cull cows, with most trading around 107-112p/kg, with anything slightly easier in terms of weight and offering good meat making 112-118p/kg.

Trade continues to pay well for plain, lean cows, which are less plentiful and not far behind on price, with steakers selling around 110p/kg and others at 80-105per kg.

Overall cull cow average was £619.35, or 103.71p. Top price per head amongst the dairy cattle was £968 for a black and white from Threshfield’s Angus Dean, or 127.5p per kg for a beef-bred Limousin-cross from Ian Parkinson, of Barde.