Dumfries

Last Wednesday, C and D Auction Marts held their weekly sale of primestock when 78 cattle were forward. The eight clean cattle sold to 226p per kg for a Limousin heifer from J Jardine, Yett, while 28 OTM beef cattle averaged 112.7p having sold to 158p for an Angus from Shewbridge and £1102.60 for the same from Townfoot.

OTM dairy cattle (42) peaked at 127p and £1212.85 for a Fleckvieh from Slacks, to level at 90.4p per kg.

Trade was better than expected for a mixed offering of 633 prime hoggs,which peaked at 232p per kg for mediumweight lambs from Whitespots, and £105 for Texels from Upper Portrack. The SQQ for 185 head was 194.8p per kg.

All classes of cast sheep sold at recent rates, and a top of £105 for Suffolk ewes from Nether Gribton.

Penrith

A great trade throughout witnessed an SQQ average of 202p per kg at Penrith and District Farmers’ Mart sale of 3590 prime sheep which comprised 2217 prime hoggs and 1373 cast ewes and rams.

Topping the trade at 277p per kg, was a pen of 39kg Beltex hoggs from AJ and FM Harrison, Grange Hall, while 49kg Texel hoggs from WH Brass, Low Row, made £111.

Cast ewes and rams were also a level trade peaking at £143 for Texels from GR and R Pinguey, High House.

Cockermouth

At Mitchells Livestock Centre, the weekly sale of primestock saw 58 cattle forward, comprising 42 cull cattle, 16 prime bulls and clean cattle, and 1843 prime sheep.

Topping the cattle at 210.5p per kg, £1395.62, was a Limousin bull from A and L Gott, Prospect House.

A good show of hoggs saw an SQQ average of 197.3p per kg and a lead price per kg of 282.1p paid for Texel from A and J Clark, Cherrytree House. Top per head was £130 for a Texel hogg from Messrs Richardson, Low Garth.

Forfar

Lawrie and Symington, had forward 24 prime cattle and 622 prime sheep and cast ewes at Forfar, where eight bullocks sold to 251p per kg for a 657kg Limousin from Nethermyres and to £1821.12 for a 813kg entry from the same home, to average 223p.

Nethermyres also produced the lead prices per kg amongst the heifer at 258p for a 599kg Limousin, while a 665kg entry from Gask sold for £1596.

The 404 prime hoggs sold easier on the week, to 217.4p and 215.1p per kg for Beltex from Easter Balgillo and to £100 from Newmill of Inshewan and Easter Balgillo.

Stirling (Cal)

Caledonian Marts’ sale saw the second largest sale of cast cows and bulls in its 56-year history at the centre, when 256 were cattle sold, comprising 95 prime bullocks, heifers and young bulls, 139 OTM cattle and 22 young calves and stirks.

Prime heifers were topped at 265p for a Limousin from W Dandie and Sons, Learielaw, Broxburn, and to £1580 for a Limousin from D Dickinson, Brockwoodlees, Canonbie.

Prime bullocks realised 260p and £1658 for a Limousin again from Learielaw.

Also sold were 2255 prime hoggs, ewes and tups which saw all classes of hoggs sharper on the week and an SQQ average of 191.2p per kg and an overall average of 185.17p for 1396, up 5.1p on the week.

Top price went to Doune Farms, West Lundie, with a 47kg Beltex that made £104, while top price per kg at 250p were Beltex from WM Bell and Aon, Craigend Cottage, Perth.

Young bulls peaked at 215p per kg for a British Blue from Dalchirla Farms, Muthill and £1552 for a Limousin from W Dick and Sons, Mains of Throsk.

Fleshed beef cows averaged 132p, peaking at 190p for a Limousin from J Bilsland, Spittal and £1280 for two Limousins from JH and NT Turnbull, Meadowend, Clackmannan, to average 124p.

Dairy cows peaked at 110p per kg from GW Paterson, Barbeth, and £780 from R Nelson, Blairmains, Culross and RW Waugh, Summerhouse, to average 88p per kg.

All classes of hoggs were sharper on the week at the firm's prime sheep sale on Tuesday which saw an overall average of 185.7p per kg for 1396 and an SQQ of 191.2p.

Beltex from Craigend made 250p per kg while a 47kg Beltex from Doune Farms, West Lundie, made £104.

Cast sheep (859) were shaper on the week with heavy ewes averaging £73.20 fro a top price of £105 for a Texel from E Robertson, Skeoch, while light ewes sold to £67 for Cheviots from J Forbes, Clunebeg, to level at £48.26.

Clunebeg also topped the rams at £76 with Bluefaced Leicesters.

Stirling (UA)

LAST week, United Auctions sold 5044 prime sheep which included 3379 prime hoggs which averaged 185.30p per kg.

Top price was £106 and 251p per kg paid for Beltex from Goddens.

The 1675 ewes and rams sold to £140 for Texels from Ballingall Mill.

Thainstone

At Thainstone, Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 76 prime cattle, where 18 prime bullocks levelled at 188.1p having sold to 233p per kg for a 600kg British Blue from The Byre, Sunnyhill, Turriff, and £1459.60 for an 890kg Charolais from Muirhill, Longhaven.

The Byre also topped the entry of 31 prime heifers which averaged 205.2p, selling a 490kg Limousin at 239p, and a 610kg British Blue at £1396.90.

Three young bulls sold to 207p and £1863 for a 900kg Limousin from Mains of Elrick, Auchnagatt.

Also forward were 2032 prime sheep and feeding ewes and rams, where hoggs (1343) averaged 178.5p, down 6.3p having sold to 247.4p for 39kg Beltex from Hallhill, Kinneff, and £111 for 66kg Texels from Plewlands, Duffus. The old season SQQ average for 466 was 196.8p per kg, up 0.3p.

The 689 feeding ewes and rams sold to £158.50 for Texels from Broomhill, Dunecht.

Longtown

At Longtown last week, C and D Auction Marts had forward 16 cast cows, 4298 prime hoggs and 4414 cast ewes and rams.

Beef Shorthorn cows from A Reid and Co, Glendearg, topped the trade at 133p and £786 per head.

The 4298 prime hoggs sold to 305p for Beltex hoggs from DS and RC Taylor, Easter Ochtermuthill, Perth and £126 for Texel hoggs from Douganhill Farm, Orchardton Mains, Castle Douglas.

The overall average of 192.4p was 2p down on the week, with an SQQ average of 200.5p.

Some 461 ewes selling at or above the £100 mark to average £124.62. Top price was £158 for Texel ewes from M Reid, Grassmainston, Stirling, Heatherglen and Aton. Hill ewes peaked at £75 for Cheviots from Playfair Farms, Morebattle Tofts, Kelso, with rams to £122 for Texels from Muircleugh Partners, Muircleugh, Lauder.

Lanark

ON Monday, Lawrie and Symington sold 114 prime cattle to a top of 254p per kg and £1487 per head for a Limousin heifer from David Dickinson, Brockwoodlees, Canonbie.

Bullocks peaked at £1478 for a Charolais cross from Glenrath, and young bulls sold to £1336 and 205p from Newsteadings.

Prime hoggs (2025) were topped at £106 for Texels from R and M Struthers, Collielaw, and 241p per kg for Beltex from Messrs Fleming, Craigthorn, to average 194p with an SQQ of 198.5p.

Texel ewes from Messrs Gibson, Cowgrove topped the entry of 1099 cast ewes at £161.

Ayr

At Ayr, Craig Wilson sold 2066 sheep comprising 1350 prime hoggs and 716 cast ewes and tups.

Hoggs averaged 186.1p with an SQQ of 203.9p. Top price was £101 paid for Beltex from M Stevenson, Balcaimie, and 214.9p for 14 Beltex from JM Nisbet, Sorn Mains.

On Tuesday, some 10 dairy cattle, 78 calves and stirks and 178 prime and cast cattle were cashed, where dairy cattle peaked at £1700 for a Holstein Friesian heifer from R Howie, Tarshaw.

Prime heifers (15) averaged 214.7p per kg and £1215.71 having sold to 240p and £1452 for a Limousin from Borland. Bullocks (4) sold to 208p for a Limousin from Knockgerran and £1278.75 for another of the same from High Boreland.

Beef cows averaged 115.4p, with dairy cattle at 89.6p. Leading the beef section at 151.3p and £1150 was a Limousin from Barscarrow, while dairy types sold to £870 and 105p for Friesians from Bourtreebush and Culscadden, respectively.

St Boswells

ON Monday, Harrison and Hetheringston's sale at St Boswells saw an improvement in the beef trade with 18 bullocks averaging 219p per kg (+8p on the week); 44 heifers levelled at 217p (+11p) and cast cows improved by 5p per kg to average 122p.

Longnewton led the clean cattle with entries at 250p and £1465, while cows sold to 177p per kg from Roxburgh Mains and £1485.06 from Wester Middleton.

A good show of 1714 hoggs averaged 193p per kg with an SQQ of 200p. Suffolks from The Lee topped the trade at £114, with a lead price of 242.5p paid for Texels from Newton, Crathie.

Meigle led the ewe trade with Suffolks at £113, with the average for 709 ewes cashing in at £57. Heavies average £73 and lights at £49.

Castle Douglas

On Tuesday, Wallets Marts sold 1921 prime and cast sheep, where 1438 hoggs averaged 188.78p per kg with an SQQ of 194.66p.

Top price was £107 paid for export weight Beltex hoggs from Craigview, Springholm, while top per kg was 258.31p paid for Beltex from Torhousekie, Wigtown.

A larger show of 375 Blackface hoggs sold to £83 for heavies from Barlure Farms, New Luce with a lightweight pen selling to 205.7p also from Barlure Farms, New Luce.

The entry of 483 cast sheep saw lean ewes sell best to a top of £115.50 for Beltex from Torhousekie. .

Wigton

A good show of heifers at Hope's Auction Mart sale met a sharper trade topping at 227.5p per kg for a 543kg Limousin heifer from RW and A Steel and £1411 for Limousin heifers from Messrs Fawkes, Welton Farm.

The 917 hoggs sold met another flying trade selling to 335.2p per kg from M Bindloss and Son, Shap Abbey and £128 for Beltex from J Dixon and Sons, Lessonhall.

Dingwall

ON Tuesday, Dingwall and Highland Marts sold 20 prime cattle, of which six bullocks averaged 207.7p, with a top price of 214.0p per kg for a 585kg Simmental cross and £1410 for a 705kg Aberdeen-Angus cross both from Bridgend Farm, Dingwall.

The 14 prime heifers averaged 212.2p, having sold to 218p per kg for a 555kg Limousin cross from Bridgend Farm and £1305.40 for a 610kg Limousin cross from Easter Strath of Auchterflow.

The firm also sold 1571 prime sheep, with 1454 old season lambs averaging 189.6p, down 6.2p on the week, having sold to 225.0p per kg twice for 40kg Beltex from Leanach Farm, Inverness and Torgorm, Conon Bridge and £100 per head from Torgorm.

Texel cross ewes from Ballicherry, led the feeding sheep at £100