Ross Market on January 2 saw 45 Finished Cattle, 13 Cull Cows, 1640 Fat Hoggs, and 165 Cull Ewes and Rams.

The new year brings trades topping at £140 for hoggs and 322 pence per kilo for cattle.

Steers 269 pence per kilo, £1840; heifers 322 pence per kilo, £1881 top price per head; cull cows and overage 225 pence per kilo, £1686 top price per head; lambs 266 pence per kilo, £140 top price per head; cull ewes and rams: average £76.98, £139 top price per head.

A shorter entry of cattle met a buoyant trade with best quality selling to a top of 322ppk. Best quality butchers heifers peaked at £1881. More cattle could have easily been sold to this trade.

A short entry of cows met a fast trade peaking at 225ppk–£1686. Meat is key to securing premium price. All cows forward averaged £1227.

The New Year enticed a larger entry of hoggs with many feeding men presenting the first draw. Again weight came to the money, peaking at £140 with many heavy weight hoggs selling from £130–£140.

Well fleshed medium weight hoggs sold from 245–266ppk. The entry of hoggs met 100 per cent. A short bank holiday entry consisting of mainly small and plain ewes met another similar good demand. Continentals sold to £139, Suffolks to £130 and Mules to £115.