Sedgemoor Livestock Market report, Saturday April 11

Very buoyant trades all round when considered in the context of the current troubles.

Covid-19 update

Market Days – Greenslade Taylor Hunt will continue to hold weekly sales of Store Cattle, Stirks and Calves on Saturdays. The Store Lambs, Cull Sheep and Cull Goats will now be sold on Friday afternoons, gates opening at 12 noon with the sale of Store Lambs starting at 4pm, followed by the Cull Sheep & Goats. Fat, Cull, Store & Weaner Pigs will continue to be sold on alternate Saturdays.

Fri April 17: Store Lambs, Cull Sheep & Cull Goats

Sat April 18: Store Cattle, Stirks & Calves

Mon April 20: Prime Cattle, Cull Cattle, Prime Lambs & Hoggs

The calves will be sold through dairy ring to facilitate social distancing of the buyers. No other category of stock will be sold at our Saturday market. Vendors MUST remain in their vehicles whilst market staff unload the vehicle and take their stock to the pens. The sale documentation MUST be collected by staff from the Vendor’s vehicle at the unloading bay. Vendors MUST not enter the pennage area or any other part of the market premises. Please ensure your mobile telephone number is on your entry form, so if you sell your stock with a reserve or subject to approval, GTH are able to contact you quickly. Buyers will be restricted to allow Social Distancing (two metres between each buyer). Buyers MUST sanitise on entry to the market and on exiting again. Buyers MUST wear gloves whilst in the market. Any buyer who does not actually secure a purchase MUST register with the office after the sale. Hauliers MUST ensure their name and contact details are recorded on the entry form for the stock they are delivering. Monday Markets will continue as currently with the above protocols implemented.

455 Store Cattle and Grazing Cows. Auctioneer’s comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a small entry of 455 store cattle, part of 667 with the stirks, met a very buoyant trade, against a backdrop of 15ppk reductions in deadweight quotes over the last fortnight and further drops forecast for this coming week.

Shoppers have gone into “recession mode” and are buying mince. Steaks and roasting joints, normally taken up by food service, pubs and restaurants are not selling. Hence the AHDB’s latest #steaknight #makeitsteak campaign. If steaks and roasts were minced it would reduce the carcass value by 60ppk. The public are staying at home and let us hope the AHDB campaign encourages them to stay at home and have a steak.

Super non assured Limousin steers from LR House, Bridgwater met calls of £1195 (21m) £1175 (22m) and £1165 (2x 18/19m). Best type Blue at £1150 (27m) and a Charolais at £1080 (24m) from the same farm. Further forward non assured Limousin steers at £1130 (2x 23/24m) £1115 (2x 17/21m) £1060 (6x 15/24m) and £1025 (2x 12/17m) from RWM Westlake & Sons, Churchinford. Others £1100 (22/23m & FA) R Webber, Lydeard St Lawrence; £1080 (7x 17/22m) LE Sweetland & Son, Musbury; £1060 (21m & FA) £1040 (only 11m & FA) and £985 (3x only 11/13m & FA) EA & DA Ellis, St Ives and £995 (25/26m & FA) MJ Patch, Monkton. Blue steers topped at £1160 (23m & FA) for a very shapely black type from WJ Bown, Catcott. Further well grown Blues at £1065 (17m & FA) LE Sweetland & Son, Musbury; £1040 (3x 11/12m & FA) £1115 (6x 20/24m & FA) EA & DA Ellis again. Grand Simmental steer at £1135 (21m & FA) R Webber again. Others £1080 (2x 20m & FA) EJ Collins & Son, Chard who also sold fleshed Charolais steers at £1105 (2x 23m & FA). Strong store Charolais at £1095 (3x 15/18m) LE Sweetland & Son again and £1025 (2x 12/15m) RWM Westlake & Sons again.

Native steers a lively trade to £1100 for a forward Hereford (24m & sire) from LE Sweetland & Son again. Fleshed types £1065 (22/23m, FA & sire) from Stowell Bros, Churchstanton; £1005 (6x 22/23m, FA & sire) from AJ Bown, Binegar; £1005 again (18m, FA & sire) PG & VA House, Salway Ash and £980 (20m, FA & sire) EA & DA Ellis again. Angus to £1095 for outliers (5x 21/25m, FA & sire) and £1010 (4x 21/24m, FA & sire) from Snook Ltd, Yeovil. Well grown Angus £1090 (22/23m, FA & sire) AJ Bown again; £1065 (4x 17/18m, FA & sire) PG & VA House again and £980 (5x 23m, FA & sires) GW Herrod, Axminster.

Dairy breeds sold to £1055 for a Holstein plus (25m & FA) from MJ & DA Johnson Ltd, Membury. Straight fleshed Holstein at £860 (22m & FA) from NW Doble & Sons, Clapton, who sold others at £820 (3x 22m & FA). Further well grown Holstein steers at £835 (19m) WT Bailey, Farway; £780 (22m & FA) AJ Bown again; £755 (5x 17/20m & FA) AJ & RA Turner, Axminster; £735 (29/33m & FA) Ham Farm Partners, Creech St Michael and £700 (3x 17m) WT Baily again.

Heifers sold to an exceptional £1195 for a top drawer Blue (24m & FA) from WJ Bown, who sold very shapely Limousin heifers at £1100 (2x 22m & FA) £1095 (4x 21/23m & FA) and £995 (23m & FA). Further shapely and fleshed Limousin at £1080 (19m) LR House again; £1010 (24m & FA) and £980 (23m & FA) J Ridd, Alverdiscott. Turnout heifers at £945 (23m & FA) R Webber again; £930 (2x 22m & FA) DJ Cossins, Blagdon Hill and £925 (22/23m & FA) PJ Betty, Othery. Further fit Blue at £1000 (21m & FA) DT & GM Patch, Whitestaunton.

Others £955 (27m & FA) at £910 (26/27m & FA) DJ Cossins again and £900 (3x 24/25m & FA) PJ Betty again. Charolais peaked at £995 (5x 22/24m & FA) for suckler bred types from PJ Betty again, who sold others at £920 (5x 21/24m & FA) and £905 (4x 19/24m & FA). Further quality suckler bred types at £985 (3x 23/24m & FA) and £980 (3x 23m & FA) from J Ridd again. £965 (23m & FA) and £955 (17m & FA) DJ Cossins again and £955 (22m & FA) EA & DA Ellis again. Smart Blonde heifer at £945 (5x 21/24m) from EA & DA Ellis and £925 (22/23m & FA) PJ Betty again.

Native heifers peaked at £935 for a fleshed Angus (22m, FA & sire) from DJ Cossins. Further fleshed Angus £910 (3x 27/28m, FA & sire) RA Pullin, Berkeley and £875 (4x 22/25m, FA & sire) Snook Ltd again. Hereford heifers at £920 twice. Fleshed at 20m (FA & sire) from Stowell Bros, who sold others at £905 (2x 20m, FA & sire) and 28m (FA & sire) RA Pullin again. Others to £870 (24m, FA & sire) PG & VA House again.

When all things are considered the store trade is still very good, compared to the finished trade. The likelihood is that it will become worse before it becomes better. Post shut down many will have 20 per cent less in their pockets due to furloughing and some might not have jobs to go back to. Cheery but “recession mode” is probably here for some while.

3 Grazing Cows (pre-movement tested). Auctioneer’s comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report grazing cows sold to £850 from PJ Betty, Othery.

212 Busk Calves and Stirks. Auctioneer’s comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a larger entry of stirks when the quality was improved on the week sold to a brighter trade across the board.

Top price of £885 for a Charolais steer (10m) from J & C Wylde, when others sold to £830 (4x 12m) JF Tidboald; £785 (13m) HR & BM White & Sons and £620 (9m) D Brice. Limousins to £850 (10m) from PG & JE Baker, who also sold younger types to £575 (2x 8m). Further Limousins to £692 and £640 WJ Dicks and £580 (10m) PJ Kembery. Simmentals to £795 (6x 13m) ASJ & PJ Carter, who sold others to £635 (4x). Herefords to £705 (3x 10m) MR Chown, who sold others to £640 (2x 11m) £605 (2x 8m) and £575 (2x 11m). Further Herefords to £655 (3x 10m) PG & JE Baker again. Angus to £700 (4x 12m) MV Hone, who sold others to £670 (5x 11m). Further Angus to £580 (3x) CJ Oram & Partner. South Devons to £670 (3x 12m) £595 (2x 11m) and £570 (3x 11m) GA & HA Venn. British Blues to £650 (13m) for a dairy bred from G Reason, when another similar type sold to £645 (12m) J Wakely and £620 (3x 11m) LG & AR Smith.

Heifers sold to a top price of £755 (13m) for a Charolais from J & C Wylde again, who sold another to £630 (9m). Further Charolais to £700 (14m) HR & BM White & Sons and £640 (9m) B Calder.

Limousins to £730 (2x 14m) PJ Kembery, who sold others to £605 (11m) and £555 (8m). Further Limousins to £675 (11m) £670 (2x 13m) EA & DA Ellis; £555 (2x 11m) £550 (11m) PG & JE Baker. Devons to £540 (4x 12m) GA & HA Venn. Simmentals to £532 (4x) ASJ & PJ Carter. Angus to £510 (5x 11m) MV Hone. Shorthorn to £500 (11m) LG & AR Smith. Herefords to £485 (11m) PG & JE Baker.

290 Non-export Calves. Auctioneer’s comments:

Beef Breeds (235) – not able to be exported from market

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a good entry for the bank holiday weekend and the circumstances met a firm trade throughout with buyers for all types. Top of the day £338 for a super young Blue from DH & C Bennett. Others £328 (2x) from W Read Partnership; £325 from MC Powell. Limousins to £338 from DR Clapp; £310 (2x) from KF & LW Mitcham. Simmentals to £335 from R Hares; £325 from DE Down & Son. No Charolais bulls.

Continental heifers to £260 for Simmental from EA & DA Ellis. Others £235 (2x) from DE Down & Son. Blues to £260 and £242 from MC Powell; £220 from DH & C Bennett; £218 from ES Triggol. Limousins to £228 and £195 from HT & ME Quick; £172 from RJ Stitch. Charolais to £200 from RL & ME Trott.

Natives to £255 for Angus from RW Sheldon & Sons. Others £250 and £230 from Short Bros & Son. Herefords to £210 from House & Sons; £205 from RM & CG Drew & Son and £205 Greenacre Farming Ltd.

Native heifers to £260 (3x) and £255 (3x) for reared Angus from N & C Holland. Younger Angus to £158 from MC Powell and £150 from Short Bros & Son. Herefords to £195 from N & C Holland & Son and £170 from DE Down & Son.

Friesians (55) – not able to be exported from market

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a fair entry met a similarly good trade as in previous weeks. The very low end has fallen further as skins have lost value. Top of £140 for reared type from BL Davies & Son. Others £120 (3x) from P & C Watts. Younger to £120 from RD Willcox and £118 from MD & KRJ Boley. Best rearing types £65 plus, mediums £30-£50 and plain types ranged from £5-£20. Montbeliarde to £50 from R & J Cottey. Swedish Red to £40 from AE Allen & Sons. Fleckvieh to £225 from AJ & EJ Maltby and £155 from RF & BA Larcombe.

36 Pigs. Auctioneer’s comments:

Greenslade Taylor Hunt report a reduced Bank Holiday and Covid-19 entry. What a trade for all the pigs that were forward.

Weaners (17)

Single entry of 8 w/o Large Whites from R Hares sold in 3 pens, all for £32 each.

Cull Sows (5)

No really good sows forward but trade very strong. The best sold to £190 and £170 for coloured sows from KLB Farming. Smaller sows to £136 from R Hares and R & G Matravers.

Forward Stores (14)

Excellent trade, many more required to satisfy demand. Top of the day £149 for some heavy weights from S Morgan and £147 from MT Churchill.

READ MORE: Truro Livestock Market report for Wednesday, April 8