CARDIGAN July 27th

J. J. Morris reports another good entry of stock in all sections.

Fat lambs saw a total entry of 618 head, with the best lambs peaking at 147p per kilo and averaging 136.7p per kilo for all sorts. Store lambs also sold well throughout, with the best topping at £42. With over 200 cull ewes on offer, a top price of £70 was achieved. Quality calves were once again in good demand, with the best topping at £290.

Top prices: 147, 138.1 Parkes, Pengaer, Eglwyswrw; 146.2 Monahan, Stember Farm, Rose Hill; 142, 141.1, 138 Evans, Penrallt, Llantood.

Store lambs (53): £42 Griffiths, Gilwen, Newport; £39.50, £31.50 Jones, Clyngwynne, Llanboidy; £36.50 Rooney, Penffordd, Tegryn; £34 Harries, Fron Bannon, Penygroes.

Cull ewes (208): £70, £66, £58, £50 Tomkinson, Brynyrefail, Oakford; £60, £50 Phillips, Lleine, Ferwig; £56 Rees, Kiln Park, Narberth.

Newcastle Emlyn July 30th

Dai Lewis auctioneers reports a larger entry forward in all sections. Lambs saw another steady run as per current national trends, with emphasis again being on quality. Stores sold to a fast run, as did culls.

Leading prices: 142.5, 136.9 Jones, Bettws, Bronwydd, Carmarthen; 138.9, 133.2 Jones, Gorlan, Pantybwlch, Newcastle Emlyn; 138.6 Davies, Blaenwaun, Rhydlewis.

Store lambs overall average £43.51. £52 Jones, Gorlan, Pantybwlch; £48.50, £43.50 Davies, Gwarcefel, Prengwyn, Llandysul; £47.60, £43.20 Brealey andNeal, Ddolwen, Tanglwst, Newcastle Emlyn.

Culls: Rams overall average £59.60. £85 Davies, Cross Lane, Croeslan, Llandysul; £79 Rishko, Penyralltlwyd, Ciliau Aeron, Lampeter.

Ewes overall average £51.93. £80, £61.50, £43 Evans, Coedperthi, Beulah, Newcastle Emlyn; £80 (2), £60 Tompkinson, Brynyrefail, Oakford, Llanarth; £68.50, £46.50 Flanders, Glynyreryr, Talgarreg.

CRYMYCH

July 29th

J. J. Morris reports a total entry of 608 head forward, and store lambs saw a fast trade for all sorts, with the best topping at £62.50, and averaging £42.50. A few more breeding ewes were on offer, with the best full mouth Suffolk ewes peaking at £80. Cull ewes were on par with recent markets, with the best ewes making £75.

Store lambs (308): £62.50, £59.50, £50 Phillips, Trefigin Manor, Monnington; £62.50, £59.50, £58.50, £56.50 Thomas, Gilwen, Crymych; £60, £54 Owen, Lan, Cefnypant.

Cull ewes (231): £75, £52 Winsor, Plas Pantsaeson, Moylegrove; £70 Williams, Henfeddau, Llanfyrnach; £64 Phillips, Trefwrdan Uchaf, Nevern.

Breeding ewes (69): £80, £60 Winsor, Plas Pantsaeson, Moylegrove; £49 £37 Phillips, Nantymynydd, Pontfaen; £35, £34.50, £34, £33.50 Perkins, Dinas Island Farm, Dinas Cross.

WHITLAND

JULY 24TH

J. J. MORRIS reports another good entry of 879 breeding ewes and rams at the third sheep sale which included 635 yearling ewes, 184 older ewes, 35 rams, 25 ewe lambs and 38 store lambs which sold to the best trade to date. Prices peaked at £124/head for yearling ewes and 345gns for yearling rams. The 635 yearling ewes on offer sold to an excellent average of £98/head while the rams averaged £260/head.

Rams (35): A good quality entry of rams sold to a top price of 345gns for a yearling Texel from Thomas and Son, Carswell Farm who also sold at 335gns and 330gns. Other leading prices: 330gns, 300gns, 290gns, 280gns, 270gns, 265gns, 260gns, 230gns and 225gns (Texel) Monahan, Stember Farm House; 310gns, 300gns (Charolais) Davies, Tyllwyd; 255gns, 255gns, 250gns and 220gns (Suffolk) Reynolds and Lawrence, Garndwyrain.

The older rams peaked at 130gns for a four year old Texel from Evans and Son, Nantyboncath; 95gns from Evans, Delfryn. Ram lambs sold to a top price of 100gns for a Texel from John, 1 Maen Gwyn.

Yearling ewes (635): Top price of the day included a very impressive £124/head for Suffolk Xs from Ward, Smithies Farms, Tree Hill Farm. Other leading prices: Morgan, Tynllwyn (Texel Xs) £123; £122, £121, £119, £118 (Suffolk Xs) Ward, Smithies Farms, Tree Hill Farm; £120, £118 (Suffolk Xs), £111, £90 (Mules) Miles, Gwili Vale.

Ewes (184): Ewes topped at £88 for 3/4 year old Texels from Howells, Aelybryn. Other leading prices included £80 for 2/3 year old Suffolk Xs from Coomber, Green Pastures; £79 and £76 for a pen of 2/3 and 4 year olds from Prichard, Calcut who also sold Full mouths at £78; £70 for a pen of 2/3 and four year olds from Miles, Gwili Vale; £66 for brokers and full mouths from Davies, Canllefaes; £66 for four year olds from Howells, Garth Villa.

Ewe lambs (25): Prices peaked at £37 from Walters, Upper Castle Ely who also sold at £33.

Store lambs (38): Lambs sold to a top price of £44.50 from Davies, Pensingrug; with others selling at £35.50 from Thomas and Co, Plas-y-Fforest.

WHITLAND

JULY 28TH

J. J. MORRIS reports: Lambs (632). A better entry of lambs was seen this week selling to a good trade throughout being 1p/kg up on the national average. Prices peaked at 155p/kg and £64.50/head. The standard weight lambs sold to an average of 138.46p/kg with the overall market average at 138.34p/kg.

Spring lambs: Top p/kg: 30k Carter, Danybanc Farm 155p; 34k Howell, Cadwgan 150p; 39.5k Morgan, Myrtle Hill 146p.

Overall market average: 138.34p/kg Non approved lambs sold to a top price of £52.80/head.

Cull ewes and rams (474): The best entry of ewes and rams seen for a good while with the greatest demand being for the stronger type ewes which sold to a very good average of £62/head with the lighter ewes averaging £26. Topping the market was Morgan, Tynllwyn who sold at £84, £80, £72 and £70. Other leading prices: £82 Abbott, North Headborough; £82, £66.50, £66, £62 Jerman, Manor Farm; £81, £62 Thomas and Co, Plas-y-Fforest Farm.

Rams sold to a top price of £60 from James, Grandstand Lodge; other leading prices included £60 Morgan, Marloes Court Farm; £60, £54 Monahan, Stember Farm House; £51 Earle, Llwyncrwn Farm; £50 Bowen, Hengil Isaf; £50 Jenkins, Market Gate.

Fat cattle (3:) Prices peaked at 129.50p/kg for a 550kilo Limousin heifer from Mathias, Penback Farm who also sold a 515 kilo Limousin heifer at 123.50; 106.50p for a 675 kilo Limousin steer from Thompson, Ysguborwen. Top price per head included £718 for the 675 kilo Limousin steer from Thompson, Ysguborwen; £712 for the 550 kilo Limousin heifer from Mathias, Penback Farm who also sold the 515 kilo Limousin heifer at £636.

Barren cows (14): A moderate entry of cows sold to an overall average of 85p/kg. It is important that the cows forward posses a good covering of flesh in order to maximise returns. Prices peaked at 110p/kg for a 670 kilo Blonde D’Aquitaine from Jones, Maeslan which also topped at £740/head.

Leading prices p/kg: Lim 625k at 105p Hughes, Waters Hill Farm; Char 605k at 102p Jones, Maeslan; HF 815k at 90p Morgan, Penygraig Bungalow; WB 690k at 90p Thomas, Dolderwydd; MRI 650k at 85p James, Coedllys.

Overage heifer and steers (3): Overage heifers peaked at 122p for a 590 kilo Simmental from Harris and Son, Ffosddu Fach who also sold a 615 kilo Charolais heifer at 115p. A 725 kilo Limousin steer from Hughes, Waters Hill Farm sold at 134p. Prices peaked at £975 for the 725 kilo Limousin steer from Hughes, Waters Hill Farm; other leading prices included £720 for the 590 kilo Simmental and £710 for the 615 kilo Charolais from Harris and Son, Ffosddu Fach.

Calves: Bull calves topped at £185 for an AA from Thomas, Little Pale with Holstein Friesians from Phillips, Awel-Y-Coed selling at £16 and £14.

WHITLAND

JULY 29th

J. J. MORRIS reports that another very good entry of cattle was also seen this month with a full compliment of buyers ensuring a brisk trade for the 76 cattle forward, which saw the well fleshed cattle sell to a premium. Therefore once again it is important that all cattle are well finished in order to gain the best returns.

The 50 cows on offer sold to an average of 82.61p/kg with the best beef cows topping at 118p/kg while the best black and whites sold to 106p/kg. A good entry of underage fat cattle was seen which saw heifers average 127.82p/kg while the steers sold to an average of 133.72p/kg.

Cows and bulls (50): Cows sold to a top price p/kg of 118p for a 525 kilo Limousin from Hughes and Sons, Pentroydin. Prices peaked at £930 for an 835 kilo Simmental from Gibbard, Blaenpant. A 950 kilo Limousin bull from Davies and Sons, Brunt Farm peaked at 102p/kg and £970/head.

Leading prices p/kg: Lim 600k at 113p Smith and Son, Norton Farm; Sim 835k at 111p Gibbard, Blaenpant; Char 790k at 106p Bryan, Colman House.

Overage cattle (7): Prices peaked at 128p/kg for a 580 kilo BB heifer from Philpin, Crinow Farm while the top price p/head included £850 for an 820 kilo Welsh Black steer from Haffield, Gower Villa. Leading prices p/kg: Lim (S) 560k at 127p Williams and Son, Cilowen; BB (H) 620k at 123p, Lim (S) 520k at 106p Philpin, Crinow Farm; WB (S) 820k at 104p Haffield, Gower Villa.

Fat cattle (19): An improved entry of underage cattle forward saw prices p/kg peak at 146.50p/kg for a 535 kilo Limousin heifer from Bryan, Colman House with prices p/head peaking at £916 for a 630 kilo Limousin steer again from the same vendor.

Leading prices p/kg: Lim (S) 630k at 145.50p, Lim (S) 650k at 140.50p, Lim (S) 600k at 139.50p Bryan, Colman House; Lim (H) 555k at 140.50p Williams and Son, Cilowen.