Ross Market, Monday, February 13, closed with 54 finished cattle, 18 cull cows, 1,629 fat hoggs, 264 cull ewes and rams.

Steers came in at 296p for the top pence per kilo, with a top price per head at £1,988.80. Heifers top pence per kilo was 321p, top price per head was £1,849.65. Cull cows and overage came in at 234p and a top price per head 1,950.98. Hoggests top pence per kilo was 251p with a top price per head at £136. Cull ewes and rams ave was £86.96 with a top price per head at £142.

The entry of 54 well-bred and well finished cattle were easily sold from 300–321ppkg.

The market saw 8 cattle gross in excess of £1,900 topping at £1,988. More cattle could have easily been sold to this trade.

Eighteen cull cows topped at £1,950.98—228ppkg. Many classes of dairy and beef cows selling 200–228ppk.

An entry of 1629 finished hoggs met a steady and consistent trade peaking at 251ppkg with many better-bred sorts, selling from 240ppkg. Heavy weight lambs sold from £120–£136.

An entry of 264 ewes saw a big difference between meat and lean ewes. Better sorts of continentals topped at £142 with many pens of stronger continentals selling from £120–£142. Leaner ewes sold from £65–£85. Hill ewes sold from £58 –£80.

An entry of Hereford cross steers, aged 23 months and weighing 600kgs, sold for a peak price of £1665, while grazing steers sold for an average of 250-271ppkg.

Younger farming steers also drew significant interest, with a consignment of British Blue crosses selling for a peak price of 271ppkg. The overall average price for steers was £1062 per head or 256ppkg.

Meanwhile, a mixed entry of heifers also fetched strong prices, with Limousin crosses weighing 550kgs selling for a peak price of £1440.

Grazing heifers peaked at 262ppkg, with an overall average of £900 or 235ppkg.

Another auction saw a dispersal sale of 230 store cattle and feeding cows, with an entry of 215 TB-exempt store cattle and 15 TB-exempt feeding cows attracting buyers from as far away as Yorkshire and Cornwall.

Friesian cross steers sold for a peak price of £1410, while Charolais crosses aged 18-23 months fetched an astonishing 353ppkg.

Aberdeen Angus cross heifers, aged 20-23 months and weighing 450kgs, sold for a peak price of £1195, while overall heifers averaged £900 or 235ppkg.