A NICE entry of finished cattle met another fast and competitive trade at Monday’s livestock auction in Ross-on-Wye.

Auctioneers RG and RB Williams said of the sale on Monday, September 7, that buyers showed increased appetite throughout the auction, resulting in another excellent day's trading.

Steers topped the market at £2,559 per head from Messrs DF & RAL Jones of Upper Hendre Farm and heifers to £2,644 from DE & SJ Cheacker, of Ostbridge Manor Farm.

A superb run of limousine cross heifers from the Cheacker’s attracted fierce competition, selling to 380p per kilogramme.

Retail and wholesale buyers remained keen to secure quality finished cattle, with well-finished Continental cattle regularly selling between 350p and 380p per kilogramme.

There were fewer traditional native bred-type cattle on offer, but those forward sold well, generally achieving around 330p to 340p per kilogramme. The overall average price finished cattle were £1,920.

Cull cows soared to £2,284 per head for a limousine cross cow from P H Bevan of Church House Farm. Cows freely sold between 220p and 270p per kilogramme. The overall average price of cows was £1,650.

A good entry of lambs met a faster trade than the previous week, meeting good competition throughout the sale peaking at £196 per head.

Well-finished lambs with a good weight and flesh were once again in greatest demand, generally selling between 330p and 370p/kg.

The easiest lambs to market were those weighing in excess of 46kg, where competition remained particularly fierce and sold between £160 and £196 per head.

Top price of the day was £196 per head for an excellent run of Texel cross from Messrs N & I Bevan of Trothlands Farm.

The day's entry was dominated by medium-weights, with the majority of lambs weighing between 41kg and 44kg sold between £135 and £160 per head.