PRIME hoggs - 1207: SQQ 189.0p, much better than national average of 182p (Monday) and 180p (Tuesday). Heavies to £90 for 60kg, £88.50 for 61kg, £88 for 51kg. Good export hoggs to 210.5p, 208.8p, 208.5p. Meat and quality very important but heavy hoggs a much more selective trade with only one lot at £90. Euro at 79p is not helping but there are still too many heavy hoggs about which puts a lot of meat on a selective market. Lighter hoggs to 44kg still in demand.

Prime lambs - 444: SQQ 212.2p which is just below last year's price of 216p on the same day. Supermarkets not very interested in lambs yet. Export firms don't want lambs much over 40kg so please keep 'on top' of lambs and don't get them too big. Lightweights very much in demand - 34kg 247.1p, 33.5kg 244.2p, 37kg 243.2p, 38kg 238.2p. Every lamb averaged £85.73. Heavies to £95 for 52kg, £94.50 for 51.5kg, £92.50 for 48kg.

Store hoggs - 465: Another good entry of hoggs considering the time of year, competition throughout with the stores looking exceptionally well sold. Several sheep very plain and this is a general problem affecting the finished trade. The weather seems to have taken its toll on hoggs and the last month it is showing. The strongest hoggs to £75.20, with all £67 to £73.50, good farming hoggs from £60 to £66.50, smaller hoggs £50 to £59.50, very small and plainer hoggs £40 to £49.50.

Ewes and lambs - 864 and 1231: A tremendous entry of couples with much better quality on offer, best sorts always sold to greatest interest topping at £214 for a pair of Texel cross 2 year olds with their double lambs at foot. Other better lots of twins from £165 to £196. Drafts of yearlings and 2's were again in short supply - they sold to £185 and £180 for two year olds with twins. Other better sorts from £140 to £160. Bunches of good keeping couples ranged from £138 to £172. Plainer ewes always the hardest to sell with prices from £90 to £135 depending on number of lambs at foot. More hill ewes on offer, mostly aged ewes with singles from £64 to £94, twins from £76 to £97.

The first show and sale of hoggs with lambs included an entry of 146 which sold to £172 for Texel crosses, better sorts mostly from £140 to £160, with others from £117 to £138. Some small hill bred sold at £70 and £76. Overall average throughout the sale of £126.50/couple with £49.68/life.

Prizewinners in the show were:

Best 10 black faced hoggs with lambs

1) M/s W E and D J Powell, Westnors End

2) M/s R J Carter and Son, Carswalls Farm

3) Mr M Jenkins, Llwyn Crwn

Best 10 light faced hoggs with lambs

1) Mr G T Lewis, Penllan

2) Mr T S Badger, Yew Tree Farm

3) Mr G T Lewis, Penllan

Best 10 Mule hoggs with lambs

1) M/s H and J Patrick, Easthook Farm

Dry ewe hoggs -154: A larger entry which included better runs of ewe hoggs met with a two-tier trade. The better end selling well to good interest with smaller and more ordinary sorts creating little interest and best sold in the fat. The entry included some super purebred Texels which topped at £160 twice for pens of five, the other pen to £120. Texel cross Mules to £102, £101 and £90. Suffolk cross Mules to £100 with only one pen of Suffolks on offer. Grass is slowly coming and more interest was shown in the ewe hoggs.

Rearing/weaned calves - 15: A good quality entry but more could have been sold. 10 rearing calves on offer sold to £360 for a Limousin cross bull with another at £300. Limousin cross heifers from the same farm sold at £305. A draft of 6 Hereford cross bulls sold to £340 with the others from £240 to £325. Weaned calves were mostly smaller - they sold to £420 for a 4½ month Blue cross bull, another at £370. 3 Angus cross heifers sold at £340. Overall average of £318.

More calves can be sold each week - please let the office know by 10am on Tuesday prior to the sale if you are bringing calves.

Please telephone Greg Christopher on 07770 972815 or Mike Evans on 07768 601999 or the market office.

Cull ewes - 2122: Another strong entry of ewes. Eight buyers in attendance ensuring a competitive trade throughout. The trade was easier but not unexpected due to the sheer number of ewes coming forward around the country.

The best ewes still up to £112/head, however despite the number of ewes forward there was a shortage of those best continental types. The lean is most definitely outselling the fat and this is a theme across all breeds.

Rams were in strong demand topping at £129/head. With the buying support we have we can easily cope with 2000 ewes every week.

Average £/head - £64.50, Continental £112, Suffolks £96, North Country Mules £85, Welsh Mules £80, Speckles £72, Welsh £70, Cull Rams £129, Cull Wethers £84.