Livestock & Dairy: Bakewell Market

 BAKEWELL MARKET

Monday 11^th July 2022

There is never a dull moment at Bakewell, last week a lorry caught fire on the unloading docks, this week a pipe burst in the café which was 4” deep in water at 6am.

Will it be a plague of locusts next week?

Stock numbers were good considering it was a real ‘haymaker’ with temperatures in the 20’s and balers operating in nearly every field.

We ended up with 687 cattle and 801 sheep, useful figures for the time of year.

There was much talk about corn prices and the quantity of meat being sold and feeling that change is in the air.

There were 401 store and breeding cattle a figure which included 100+ weanlings from one farm.

Trade was much the same as last week with steers reaching £1,480, heifers £1,380 and feeding bulls £1,120.

In the breeding section cows with calves made up to £1,800.

In the finished cattle section, there was a good entry of 142, top figures 308p/kg and £1,998 per head.

The 68 heifers averaged 230p with trade a shade easier, but the per head average for the 50 steers still looked reasonable at £1,466.

OTM numbers down a bit at 77, but trade good with top figures of 239p and £1,837.

The average unchanged from last week at a very respectable 180.7p.

More calves about with 67 on offer, bulls reached £385 and heifers £280.

Sheep numbers well down on last week now that the Muslim festival is over.  Many farmers making grass harvesting a priority and either dropping in stock very early or missing the market altogether.

The trade for the 611 lambs was less than last week, but time will tell how it compares to the general trend.

Top figures for lambs 321p/kg and £173.40 per head.

The SQQ average emerged at 289.2p.

Only 166 cull sheep after last weeks 600+ with trade somewhat steadier.

Ewes to £150 to average £102.41.

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

Thursday 14^th July:  Thursday Lunchtime Sheep Sale

Friday 22^nd July: Orange Sale of TB Restricted Cattle at Bakewell

Farm Sale

Friday 15^th July: New Buildings Farm, Lichfield

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NSA Event

27^th July – The Counties Show Ground, Malvern

PEAK FARMERS GROUP: Next Event

Farm walk with expert speakers | Tues 26th July 11am-2.30pm

Did you know you could add up to £7725 to your annual farm income by hosting a series of 2 hour educational visits?

Find out how at our next event at Lower Hurst Farm, Nr Hartington, SK17 0HJ.

Speakers include:

• Cevas Trainer & Advisor Bobbie Harvey on how to prepare yourself and feel confident in welcoming visitors to your farm.
• LEAF Advisor & Consultant Andy Guy on the practicalities: From activities to insurance, event management to health and safety.
• Agri Lecturer & Former Farmer Mark Walton on the ups and downs of running a hugely successful open farm with 90,000 visitors per year.

Free to attend, all welcome.  Lunch included.

Call 07483 373435 or email: info@peakfarmersgroup.co.uk to book a place/s

77 Barren, OTM and Feeding Cows Overall Average 180.7p or £122.92

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

Less cows on offer but a remarkable trade once again.  The old laws of supply and demand are very much evident in the cow ring with processing meat very much in vogue.  The only way to market your cows in these good times is on their legs in the livestock market in Bakewell.  17 cows today topped £2/kilo with the top being a 28 mnth old (1 calf) Blue x heifer from Paul “COYB” Kirkham, Hognaston who also had an old Limmy (12 yrs) at 210p.  Plenty of others at 210-230p.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

30 Black & White and ex Dairy Cows ave 171p/kg

Possibly a touch sharper if that is possible.

7 best over 182p

Big Holsteins 170-180p

Plainer parlour cows 155-165p

Leaner cows 130-150p

The best today:

5 OTM Bulls

142 FINISHED CATTLE – overall average 228.4p

(Auctioneer Oliver Hiles)

A very big show today with more than last week and more than the equivalent sale last year.

49 vendors today sold cattle to 22 different accounts. Trade today was very good for the best bred and fed cattle and possibly a touch dearer on the week, but a number of less bred or smaller or not as well-fed cattle looked less money on the week.

24 Finished Bulls ave 218.6p

As I just said they are less money but certainly no disaster.  Nigel Birch topped at 259p (£1616) with a Blue x, with better bulls generally 240p+.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

50 Steers – overall average 232.1p

The best possibly dearer but some lesser bred cattle less money.  Two today at £3/kilo from Alex Birch (Thorp Farm) and Michael Hadfield, both with suckler bred and very well-fed Limousins.  Better sorts generally 250p+.

Sample Results:

And Gross Prices:

68 Heifers – overall average 229.5p/kg

The average looks less and some smaller or plain cattle were certainly less money but the best in spec sorts easy to sell.  A trio of Limousin sold at 308p for Keith Harrop, Alport.

James and George Blackshaw, Sheldon and Steven and Steff Wells, Monyash and selling to butchers in Hayfield and Catterton, York x2.  Hereford to 228p, Angus to 250p with 2 Dexters and 4 small Angus (340-400kg) all having their effect on the averages.

Sample Results:

Gross Prices:

STORE & BREEDING CATTLE – (Auctioneer Alastair Sneddon)

A good entry of 401 on offer which included a special entry of 100+ weanlings.

Not all the regular buyers were on parade with holidays and haymaking taking their toll, but there were a few substitutes and some ‘wild card’ appearances and there was sufficient buying power present to maintain last week’s exceptional trade.

All this in spite much debate about beef sales in supermarkets and the last of corn.

It is clear that buyers want to pay less, but so far, they have not achieved it.

The sale commenced with 53 Breeding Cattle which included:

Next Came 79 Feeding Bulls

Results included:

In the Weanling Section

134 Steers ave £932

A good selection for the time of year with trade unchanged from last week.

Sample Results:

135 Heifers

A mixed lot, but buyers present for all varieties.  Angus and Hereford crosses selling particularly well and plenty of continental cross highlights throughout the sale.

Sample Results:

67 CALVES (Auctioneer Ivor Lowe)

A slightly easier calf trade for all types with top prices of £385 for a Limousin Bull and £280 for an Angus Heifer.

Trade on both bulls and heifers very similar and only a small entry of Black & Whites to a top of £42.

Bulls

B Blue                 £295     SG Potter, Bonsall

Blonde               £260     SG Potter, Bonsall

Lim                      £250     Frith Bros, Thorpe

Hfd                       £252     D Fotherby & Sons, Wormhill

Mont                   £215     J & J Walton, Tideswell

Heifers

B Blue                £220     J Cawser, Uttoxeter

Lim                      £220     SG Potter, Bonsall

Hfd                       £155     AP Critchlow, Wheston

635 Lambs & 166 Ewes & Rams (Auctioneer Peter Oven)

A good post festival entry of 801 head of sheep included 611 new season lambs.  Demand for the 40kg+ lambs very good with best heavy lambs grossing £173/head and 321p/kg.

Overall market average 290p/kg.

Leading Prices: –

Averages:

Old Season Lambs

Old Season lambs still in demand to peak at 262p/kg average 210p/kg.

Cull Sheep

Just 166 cull sheep saw best Texels to £166, Suffolks to £125, Mules to £128 and Horned ewes to £80.

Ewes to £150     Ave £101.18

Rams to £126     Ave £108.50

Goats to £90