1213 HOGGETS: A super trade well in front of any recorded earlier in the week with an SQQ in excess of 179p/kg topping at 194p/kg for 40.5kg lambs from R.S Eckley, Fforddfawr with a pen of 43.5kg from T.J Davies, Heoleinon close behind at 190p/kg. Pen after pen in the 180-185p/kg bracket. The heavy weights up to £88/head and the light lambs were also much better as the summary figures illustrate. All we seem to hear of late is "contracts this, contracts that". Based upon our SQQ alone the deadweight equivalent would need to have been at least 410p/kg to be on a par with today's average that's some 30p/kg ahead of where it is. Once again the livestock markets are driving the trade upwards. Thousands of lambs contracted direct, eliminates free trade and eliminates competition. Why would a man need to lift the price of any product that is simply dumped at his front door? It's pure economics. A few questions we'd like you to consider. What happens when all the lambs an abattoir requires are sourced under contract? What will then happen to the base price? If your struggling to find the answers we'd like to draw you attention to the beef trade.

There is a place for both systems but the liveweight must be allowed to lead the way. Sell live and thrive!