Farmers and livestock traders descended upon the Ross Auction Centre on Monday for a busy day of trading. The market report for Monday, February 20, 2023 showed 40 finished cattle and 20 cull cows, as well as 1238 fat hoggs and 256 cull ewes and rams up for sale.

The atmosphere was lively as hoggs and ewes met a buoyant trade, while cull cows were breaking barriers.

The top pence per kilo and top price per head were as follows: steers fetched 314.00p and £1943.70, heifers 302.00p and £1775.76, and cull cows and overage 272.00p and £2265.76. Lambs also proved popular, with hoggets reaching 242.00p and £100.00, while the top price for lambs was £124.00.

Finished cattle were easily sold, with a number of better bred and fleshed continentals selling from 300 – 314ppkg. Heavier sorts were in short supply, but many cattle ranging from £1850 - £1943 were snapped up. The top vendors were M A Hardy Ltd, New Farm, with a top price/head of £1943.70, and DE & SJ Cheacker, Ostbridge Manor Farm, with a top price/kilo of 314.00p.

A nice entry of 20 cull cows met a blistering trade, peaking at 272ppkg to £2265. The top vendor price/head was £2265.76, from DE & SJ Cheacker, Ostbridge Manor Farm.

During the hoggs sale, a nice entry of hoggs met a firm and level trade, with better bred continentals consistently selling from 240 – 248ppkg. Heavy hoggs sold from £115 - £124, and the overall average of lambs sold at £104 – 44kg, with an overall SQQ of 232ppkg. D Greenhill, Cherry Tree Cottage, Chepstow, achieved the top vendor price/head of £124, and N & I Bevan, Trothlands Farm, St Weonards, the top price/kilo of 248p – 44.30kg.

A shorter entry of cull ewes topped at £125, while the entry was dominated largely by leaner or smaller sorts that were reflected in the average. Strong ewes sold from £100 - £125, while leaner ewes sold from £65 - £85. Hill bred ewes sold from £58 - £76, with an overall average of £85.00. The top vendor price/head was £125, from PM McMurtrie, Walk Farm.

Forthcoming sale fixtures include a store cattle sale on Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 11.15am, and an online and live sale of furniture and collectables on Thursday, March 16, at 10.00am. Contact William Probert on 07595 315902 for finished lambs, cull ewes, store sheep, finished cattle, cull cows, and store cattle. Contact the Ross Auction Centre at 01989 762225 or antiques and fine art expert Roger Garlick at 07855 050402 for more information.