Achi news desk-
Steers at St Boswells yesterday averaged 284p/kg and sold to 330p/kg, while heifers averaged 294p/kg and sold to 334p/kg, and young bulls averaged 283p/kg and were sold to 300p/kg.
Heifers continued to meet demand, averaging 201p/kg and selling to 246p/kg or £2,012 per head. Lambs saw a big jump on the week averaging 420p/kg and peaking at 465p/kg or £210/head, but hogs fell 9p on the week to average £190/head and sold to £240/head for Beltexes. . And cast ewes averaged £130 per head and sold to £230 per head for Texel ewes.
The spring lamb trade this season got off to a great start in Ayr with 44 averaging 411p/kg or £178/head and peaking at £220 or 438p/kg for Texels from Merrick.
A poorer show of hoggets averaged 360p/kg and sold to £222/head for Beltexes from Balcaimie and for a pen of the same breed from Rowanhill. Cast ewes peaked at £209 for Texel crosses from Lochlands with Blue Texels from Rowanhill leading the way at £192. Rankinstone led the Blackies on £119, with Burnbank and Caprickhill leading the Scotch Mules on £161.
Heifers of the main beef breed at Lanark yesterday were unchanged at an average of 301p/kg and sold to 345p/kg for Limousin, while steers were down 5p on the week to average 288p/kg and’ u sold to 292p/kg, again for Limousin, and black and white steers fell equally to an average of 229p/kg and sold to 248p/kg for a Limousin cross.
Heifers and dairy cows were broadly unchanged at 201p/kg and 165p/kg respectively, while hoggets jumped 10p on the week to average 382p/kg and sold to £252/head or 505p/kg. Cast ewes fell £4 per head to average £131 per head and sold to £278 for Texel. And a large load of Blackie ewes sold for £108.
The Orkney Livestock Association’s annual grazing cattle show was held in Kirkwall yesterday and was judged by Raymond Flaws of Nisthouse in Evie, and sponsored by Biobest Laboratories of Edinburgh. Champion and trophy winner was Gerry & Evelyn Wilson, Howequoy, for a 525kg Limousin cross steer which sold for £1,690. The championship was a 395kg Limousin from Balfour Baillie which sold for £1,500 or 378p/kg.
