Older tractors sell quickly
Finished sow prices leap ahead
By Simon Wragg
CULL sow prices jumped by almost £10 a head this week prompting some to suggest the deadlock on finished prices was about to be broken as supplies tighten.
The increase is worth almost 7p/kg and builds on small rises in recent weeks. The trade believes it will add more pressure to get finished values moving, especially coming on the back of the Belgium dioxins food scare which saw export restrictions.
Auctioneer Ralph Ward saw trade at Hull – one of the biggest liveweight centres for cull sows with an entry of 270 last week – top 47.6p/kg. Thats up 10p/kg on the week with more export buyers at the ringside.
Although the vast majority of cull sows are exported for processing, their value provides the most accurate barometer on European trade, says Suffolk-based pig finisher Peter Crichton.
"Were starting to see that numbers (on the continent) are beginning to tighten and thats got to be good news when many producers have little confidence left in the job," he adds.
That confidence has been hit hard after projections made earlier this year over-stated the recovery in finished prices.
But Mr Crichton is trying to remain optimistic: "My cup is half full rather than half empty."
And with cull sows now bringing in more realistic returns, many could benefit from extra income to fund some badly-needed reinvestment. "Higher returns are a vast improvement on the 32-34p/kg many were seeing earlier on this year," adds Mr Crichton.
Although this is good news for many, Mr Ward suggests that prices are unlikely to shift further and he now expects to see trade start to level off. "Its a question of whether it is the drying up of supplies or competition among buyers to jostle for position that moves the price."
During this time the finished market has being holding its own. Despite minor fluctuations, the Adjusted Eurospec Average has held reasonably steady, although daily MLC averages for markets have wavered.
Mr Crichtons weekly entry of finished pigs – sold for local butchers trade – mirrored the cull price recovery and sold deadweight at 96.8p/kg. "And they wanted more numbers through."
Other markets have seen similar movements. Entries at Market Drayton, Salop saw porkers and cutters trading to 69p liveweight, reports auctioneer Mike Taylor. And further north producers report weekly entries have received unexpected demand as processors look to source extra supplies. *
Hogg values are declining
HOGG values are starting to slipnorth of the border close on the heels of southern markets. The exception may be United Auctions Dingwall market where old season lamb continues to dominate numbers traded last week. Premium sorts weighing between 36kg-45.5kg saw trade average 90p/kg with lighter types back at 85p/kg.
Suffolks were taking the best bids at up to ££46.50/head, cheviots £45.80 and Blackface at £42.50/head.
At Thainstone market auctioneer Philip Reid says trade is slipping back as more new season supplies are forwarded. The latest entry of 400 head saw trade average 76.7p/kg, back 5.8p/kg.
"Theres a number of older lambs coming through and some have erupted teeth pushing values back from £40 to £27-£28 a head. Mainly, hoggs are looking fit and have a good level of finish," says Mr Reid.
At Bagshaws Uttoxeter weekly fixture numbers have declined and a small entry took bidding to 78p/kg to level the days trade at just over 67p/kg.
Auctioneers are now seeing more mature hoggs entered and encourage producers to market lambs before teeth erupt, requiring carcasses to be split under Specific Risk Material rules and halving their value.
At Suffolks only liveweight sheep outlet old season supplies now represent just 14% of the 1000 lambs being marketed. "And prices continue to slip," warns Hill Farm Sheeps Peter Crichton. Mondays entry saw old crop lambs average between 69p/kg-74p/kg across all classes.
MLC daily market reports for early this week reflect the general down-turn in trade. Light lambs were down almost 5p/kg to 67p/kg, standard weight lambs down 1.5p to 74p/kg, and mediums back over 4.5p to just over 69p/kg. *
Older tractors sell quickly
OLDER tractors are still fetching a good return at on-farm sales says auctioneers Savills.
At last Thursdays machinery sale following a change in farming at Ponton Farming Company, near Grantham, Lincs, buyers were present from Scotland to Sussex.
Top price of the day was for a 1996 Ford New Holland 8560 4wd tractor, described as very tidy, was £23,900. This matched the bid for a privately entered John Deere 7700 4wd entered by a local producer and sold over the phone .
But older tractors didnt miss out. A 1982 Ford TW20 took bidding to £4300 and a 1993 MF2720 up to £5300. "All very respectable bids," says Mr Jeanes. Cultivation kit was also popular with a two-year-old 7.3m set of Twose Cambridge rollers made £3000.
Spray kit remains in demand with a Frasier Agri-buggy 3D with 1000-litre mounted unit realised £7100. *
The company believes a strong trade for the better quality equipment continues to be spurred on as farmers are not so willing to invest in new kit due to factors such as depreciation and high capital outlay.
Jun 19 Dispersal of the Stantonpeak herd of pure bred British Friesians (105 head). Leek. Bagshaws (01335-342201)
Jun 19 Dispersal of Mahaar herd of Holstein Friesians (80-head) including Simmental stock bulls. Stranraer. Thomson, Roddick & Laurie (01387-255366)
Jun 19 Sale of dairy heifers (61 head). Also full range of grassland and livestock equipment. Preston. Richard Turner & Son (01200-445376)
Jun 21 Combined sale of 78 Holstein heifers. Gloucester. Bruton Knowles (01452-303441)
Jun 22 Dispersal of the Ulpha herd of Holstein Friesians to 300 head. Grange over Sands. Harrison & Hetherington (01228-590490)
Jun 22 Collective machinery sale. Driffield. Dee Atkinson & Harrison (01377-253151)
Jun 23 Annual summer sale of 850 Continental cross store bullocks and heifers. Carlisle. Harrison & Hetherington (01228-590490)
Jun 23 Dispersal of the Walverdene herd of Holsteins (160 head). Burnley. Norton & Brooksbank (01285-841333)
Jun 23 Fortnightly sale of 700 store cattle and some pigs. Skipton. Craven Cattle Marts (01756-792375)
Jun 24 Dispersal of the Hartpury herd of Holsteins following a move to organic. Hartpury. Gwilym Richards (01453-521600)
Jun 24 Collective sale of 150 EBL Attested Holstein Friesian females. Crewe. Wright-Manley (01270-250500)
Jun 25 Harvest and cultivation kit including IH 1680 combine, Shelbourne Reynolds rape swather, Heston baler. St. Neots. Alexanders (01480-432220)
Jun 25 Special sale of beef-bred cows and calve and in-calf cows (52 head). Bishops Castle. Halls (01742-231212).
Jun 25 Sale of commercial herd of 75 Holsteins from a TB-clear herd. Ross-on-Wye. Gwilym Richards (01453-521600)
Jun 26 Joint reduction sale of 100 Charolais sheep from the Jojan and Allesborough flocks. Chepstow. Gwilym Richards (01453-521600)