A GOOD entry of finished cattle met another fast and competitive trade with finished cattle remaining in short supply nationally at the Ross-on-Wye Livestock auction on Monday, October 26.

Auctioneers RG and RB Williams report that buyers showed increased appetite throughout the sale, resulting in another excellent day's trading.

Steers topped the market at £3,030 per head from G E Phillips & Son of Dairy Farm and heifers to £2,630 from GH & GG Savidge of Dean Common Farm.

A superb run of Limousine cross heifers from DE & SJ Cheacker of Ostbridge Farm, attracted fierce competition, selling to 420p per kilogramme.

Retail and wholesale buyers remained keen to secure quality finished cattle with well-finished Continental cattle regularly selling between 370p and 400p per kilogramme.

Overall, buyer confidence remains high, with demand appearing to strengthen week by week

A nice entry of cull cows met a blistering trade peaking at 265p per kilogramme representing £2,164 per head with others selling to 260p per kilogramme.

Demand has increased with more cows required to meet demand next week.

Meat is money with more cows and bulls required to meet demand from buyers. Overall average price of cows was £1,724 with the top vendor being Freddie Wilcox of Quinmoor Farm.

A nice entry of lambs met a faster trade especially on the handy weights, with heavy weights maintaining strong demand peaking at £192 per head (357p per kilogramme).

Well-finished lambs weighing between 38kg and 43kg were in greatest demand, generally selling between 340p and 357p per kilogramme.

Buyers were keen to secure lambs with plenty of finish, proving once again that meat is money.

Top price of the day was £192 per head for an excellent run of Texel lambs from N & I Bevan of Trothlands Farm.