WHITLAND

SEPTEMBER 18th

J.J. MORRIS reports: Despite being later on in the season, another good day’s trading was seen which included 33 rams and 493 breeding ewes, together with 232 store lambs.

Trade remained firm with the best ewes still reaching over the £100-barrier. A good demand was again seen in the ram section with prices peaking at 350gns.

Yearling ewes sold to an overall average of £82/head, with the more mature ewes averaging at £60.

Yearling rams sold to an average of £190 while the older rams and ram lambs averaged £110 and £292 respectively.

Rams (33): Another good entry of rams was seen selling to a top price of 350gns for a Texel from Thomas and Son, Carswell Farm, who also sold another ram at the same price. Other leading prices included: 155gns Jones, 20A Dol y Derwen; 88gns, 80gns, 75gns Price, Maesgwynne Farm; 75gns Smith, Plasparcau.

Yearlings topped at 255gns from Howells, Brechfa Farm; with other leading prices: 250gns, 220gns Monahan, Stember Farm House; 210gns Windsor and Son, Fforest Farm; 185gns, 165gns, 160gns, 125gns Thomas, Cruglwyd.

Ram lambs topped at 315gns (2) for a Charollais from Thomas, Fferm Bryngwyn; 205gns Towns, Woodfield.

Ewes (493): A good entry of ewes was seen once again, with the best topping at £130 for yearling Texels from Reed and Son, Upper Scolton; other leading ewe prices: £111, £105, £80, £70 Miles, Gwili Vale; £101, £69 Lewis, Whitelodge; £100 Thomas and Son, Hendy Farm. The older ewes topped at £75 from Jones, 20A Dol y Derwen who also sold at £72; with others at £75, at £74, £73, £61 Morris, Mwche; £73, £70 Thomas, 26 Flemish Close; £71 Lewis, Whitelodge.

Store lambs (232): Store lambs topped at £59 from Thomas, Chapel Farm, with others selling at £57, Davies, Gelligroes Farm; £55.50, £54.50, £51, £50, Jones and Roberts, Penparc; £50.50, Phillips, Maesydderwen.

WHITLAND

SEPTEMBER 19th

J.J. MORRIS reports: Another very good entry of stock was seen, with the trade in the store section remaining firm. The strongest of steers topped at £1,000, while the best heifers reached £920. A good entry of grazing cows saw prices top at £1,115, while the best sucklers and in-calvers topped at £1,145 and £925 respectively, with a Charolais bull peaking at £2,150.

Grazing cows (36): A very good entry of cows was seen selling to an overall average of 89.76p/kg or £527/head, while to a top of 134p/kg and £1,115/head. Top prices as follows p/kg: Lim 830k at 134p Jones, Horton Nurseries; Lim 645k at 107p Coney, Lower End Town; Lim 705k at 107p, HF 615k at 104p Phillips, Brynglas.

Stores (586): Another good entry of store cattle was seen selling to a firm trade that saw the best steers peak at £1,000/head, while selling to an average of £620. Heifers sold to an average of £576, with the bulls selling to an overall average of £320.

Steers sold to a top price of £1,000 for a pair of Limousin steers from Roberts, Parke; £1,000 was also paid for a Charolais from Thomas and Son, Carswell Farm. Heifers topped at £920 for a pair of Herefords from McDonald, Cleggars Farm. Top prices as follows: Top heifer (213) prices: HF £920, HF £880, HF £830 McDonald, Cleggars Farm; Lim Glanville, Llwyn Pinner Farm £870; Lim Evans, Delfryn £850.

Top steer (354) prices: Lim Roberts, Parke £1,000; Ch Thomas and Son, Carswell Fm £1,000; Ch £960, BB £920, CH £875 Thomas, Ciliau Ganol.

Leading bull (19) prices: Ch Wade, Penrhiwgoch Uchaf £770; H/Fr Evans, Pantymenin £450; Lim £445, Lim £360 Eynon, Brynawel.

Suckler cows and incalvers (31): A fair entry of cows and calves was seen, selling to an overall average of £836/head, while the in-calvers sold to an average of £890. Suckler cows peaked at £1,145 for a pedigree Charolais with her pedigree bull calf at foot from Lewis, Llangwathen. Other leading prices: £1,075, £1,040, £1,035 Limousin Davies, Gilrhyd; £1,060, £1,050 Limousin Thomas, Penbryn Park; £1,015 Limousin Morris and Sons, Brynawel. A special entry of two pedigree Charolais in-calf heifers from Lewis, Llangwathen topped at £925 and £900; £890 for a Belgian Blue heifer from Davies, Twmpath.

Bulls (1): A pedigree Charolais bull from Lewis, Llangwathen sold at £2,150.

CARDIGAN

September 21st

J.J. Morris reports another good entry in all sections. A total entry of 137 store cattle, the top price steer sold to £900, and heifer at £855.

Barren cow trade was slightly better, with the best topping at £1,290. Cows and calves again sold well, with a top price of £1,200. Good quality calves were again short in numbers, but the best bull reached a top price of £218 and heifer at £178.

The sheep section saw a good entry forward despite it being the annual ram sale at Builth Wells. Once again light lambs were in great demand, with the best peaking at 148.0p per kilo, standard and medium lambs were slightly easier, with the best topping at 145.1p per kilo. The overall average was on par with national trends, where it levelled out at 135.2p per kilo. Ewes were in great demand, with the best topping at £86.

Store Cattle (137).

Steers: £900, £800 Lewis, Glanllynan, Cardigan; £890, £755, £720 Griffiths, Pencoed, Eglwyswrw; £840 Williams, Gotrel, Cardigan.

Heifers: £855, £625 Griffiths, Pencoed, Eglwyswrw; £770, £745 Williams, Gotrel, Cardigan; £685, £600 Lewis, Glanllynan, Cardigan.

Barren Cows/Overage (47): £1,290 Davies, Bryncoed, Felindre Farchog; £865 Vaughan, Fagwrgoch, Glanrhyd; £845 George, Wernddu, Eglwyswrw.

Cows and Calves (4). £1,200, £940, £900 Colledge, Gwarmacwydd, Llanfallteg.

Calves (46): £218 (Ch) Bevan, Penymynydd Mawr, Puncheston; £190 (Hfd) Morgan, Cwrt, Llanarth; £188, £172, £150 (Lim) Thomas, Glynhenllan Isaf, Cilgerran.

Sheep Section.

WHITLAND

SEPTEMBER 22nd

J. J. MORRIS reports: Lambs (832): A good entry of lambs was seen once again selling to a steadier trade in line with other livestock markets, which saw the best lambs peak at 140p/kg and £63.50/head. The standard lambs sold to an average of 133.47p/kg, with the overall market average at 130.83p/kg.

Spring lambs: Top p/kg: 40k Kudelski, Brondeg 140p; 44k 139p, 41k 137p Bowen, Kyngadle Farm; 40.5k Williams, Llandawke West Fm 138p.

Overall market average: 130.83p/kg Cull ewes and rams (388): A good entry of ewes and rams was seen, once again selling to a very comparable trade to last week, with the exception of some very strong Texel ewes, which sold to a top of £90/head.

A good selection of stronger type ewes was seen which were keenly contested selling to an overall average of £50/head, the lighter ewes averaged £25, with the rams selling to an average of £41. Prices peaked at £90 for Texels from Thomas and Son, Carswell Farm, who also sold at £87; £90 Texel Windsor and Son, Fforest Farm; £80 Llewellyn, Bower Farm; £70, £60 Harries, Causeway Farm.

Cull cows (17): A fair entry of non TB tested cows was seen selling to a steady trade with plenty of buyers in attendance. The overall market average at 84.83p/kg due to an increased number of plainer dairy bred cows forward. Prices peaked at 129p/kg for a 660 kilo Limousin cows from Davies, Llwynpur that also sold to the day’s top price of £850/head. Other leading prices p/kg: Fr 690k at 118p, Fr 660k at 105p Davies and Co, Llechclawdd; HF 590k at 107p Vaughan and Son, Llwyncelyn; H/Fr 600k at 102p, H/Fr 405k at 90p Picton-Davies and Son, Hendre Fm.

Overage heifers (3): Three good quality overage heifers sold to an average of 133p/kg and £891/head, with the top prices p/kg: Ch 695k at 136p Rees, Gwernely; Sim 605k at 132p, Sim 710k at 131p Davies, Gelligroes Farm.

Fat cattle (5): Steers sold to an average of 126.71p/kg or £760/head while the heifers averaged 130.83p/kg and £763/head. Top price p/kg included 137.50p for a 555 kilo Limousin heifer from Davies, Llwynpur. Top price £/head included £802 for a 615 kilo Hereford steer from Rees, Gwernely. Other leading prices p/kg: HF(S) 615k at 130.50p Rees, Gwernely; Ch(S) 565k at 129.50p, Lim(S)600k at 123.50p Griffiths, Waunfach; HF(S) 620k at 123.50p Mathias, Penback Fm.

Calves: Dairy bred bull calves topped at £16 from Nicholas, Cilmoor Farm, who also sold at £10; £10 from Thomas, Cilau Ganol.

HAVERFORDWEST

SEPTEMBER 22ND

BJP reports: Store cattle (189). Cattle numbers on the increase, with excellent cattle on offer. A 17-month old Limousin steer sold for £895 from Davies, Great Hook, Penycwm.

Charolais steer £895 17 months old; Hereford steer £875 23 months old; Montbelliard steer £830 24 months old; Charolais steer £800 16 months old; Charolais steer £735 15 months old; Charolais steer £780 22 months old; Hereford steer £500 13 months old; Charolais heifer £710 26 months old; Limousin heifer £750 22 months old; Charolais heifer £655 16 months old.

Cull cows (12). MRI cow 640 kilos £610 Luke, Pwlle; Charolais cow 580 kilos £590 Hughes, Croft. Max per kilo 102 pence, average 82 pence.

Calves (54). Another good entry of calves with a fair trade.

Hereford bull £218, £182, Hereford heifer £148 Hancock, Clarboro; Friesian bull £90 James, Hendrewen; Hereford heifer £148 Owen, The Holmes.

CRYMYCH

September 23rd

J.J. Morris reports. A large entry of 2,118 head forward in all sections. Store lambs were again in great demand, with the very best peaking at £61, with the overall average being £42.50 for all sorts. The breeding section saw a buoyant trade, in the ram section, with the best topping at £410 for a yearling Welsh tup. Ewes sold well, with most on offer being full or broken mouth, the best peaked at £107 for a ewe lamb. Cull ewes met a slightly better trade to the previous sale, with the best topping at £72.

Store Lambs (1,118): £61 Blethyn, Gelly, Hebron; £60, £50 Walters, Blaenant, Trelech; £59.50, £56 Winsor, Plas Pantsaeson, Moylegrove.

Breeding Ewes (668): £107, £56, £55 James, 102 Maesglas, Cardigan; £63, £60.50, £59, £58.50 Jones, Blaencwm, Crymych; £60 Keeling, Coedycwm, Fishguard.

Breeding Rams (21): £410, £390, £175 Lewis, Maesybeddau, Brynberian; £375 Thomas, Graig, Hebron; £250, £235, £205 Davies, Rhydymerydd, Efailwen.

Cull Ewes (311): £72, £63 Blethyn, Gelly, Hebron; £60 Mathias, Cwmfreni Fawr, Boncath; £53 Jones, 4 The Lodge, Cilwendeg.

Carmarthen

September 23rd

BJP reports: Dairy Cattle (71). Today saw a good trade at Carmarthen Mart with buyers and sellers alike leaving happy. Seventy-one cows, heifers and youngstock were entered on the day with top price coming in at £2,700.

Mr Thomas, of Llancwm, took top price of the day with Churchvale Shottle Sharice, a pedigree first calver with an excellent history behind her, including five generations of EX. She was out of Fordswood Webster Sharice PI EX90 and sired by Picston Shottle EX96.

She was followed by another heifer from Mr Thomas, LLancwm, Churchvale Jordan Mistletoe VG85 making £2,450 and Parcnewydd Roy Butterblom 3, a heifer from Mr Davies, Parcnewydd making £2,420.

Meanwhile in the commercial section, top price went to Mr Jones, The Elms, for a first calver making £2,120.

Overall, six cows and 20 heifers were entered in the commercial section, averaging £1,205 and £1,443, along with four cows and 12 heifers in the recorded section averaging £1,762 and £1,901.

Wednesday also saw a special entry of bulling and yearling heifers from Mr Davies, Troedyrhiw. The good trade continued throughout the day with 29 heifers averaging £421 and topping at £570.