ALL-ROUND BEEF AND MATERNAL QUALITIES SEES SIMMENTAL TOPPING COMMERCIAL SALES AT ABERDEEN; HALLWORTHY; STIRLING; CARLISLE; DUNGANNON; GAERWEN; BENTHAM; FORFAR; QUOYBRAE; RUGBY; HUNTLY; SEDGEMOOR; FROME; EXETER; LANARK; MARKET DRAYTON; TRURO; & LANCASTER.

by Nicky Moreton | Apr 27, 2022 | 2022 Market Briefs

A maternal mainstay of the of the commercial suckler herd, natural efficiency is a real strength of the Simmental breed. Simmentals are versatile; complement all breeds; are easy calving maternal, milky mothers; produce beef from grass and are easy fleshing; are fast growing and are the UK’s leading continental beef breed for age at slaughter. This all-round ‘efficiency package’ is ticking the boxes with commercial beef producers and seeing the breed performing where it matters, on farm and in commercial sale rings, for all classes of stock, at markets around the country and from Caithness to Cornwall! This is the second of our recent Market Briefs posts bringing us up to date, and if you have any news of Simmentals doing the business in your area then please just let us know at information@britishsimmental.co.uk and we’ll be happy to publish it.

Aberdeen & Northern Marts sale of cast cows and bulls at Thainstone on 21st April saw a Simmental from Drumsleed, Fordoun make £2390.

Hallworthy Market’s store cattle sale on 21st April, saw an outstanding run of 450 cattle with 300 Stores topping out at £1675, for a trio of long tall strong Simmental Steers from A P & D J House of St Issey, their next was a superb fleshy Sim x Steer to £1650, and another strong pair at 24 months to £1590. Again in the heifers it was the House Family out in front with a sparkly Simmental x Heifer, deep and well fleshed to £1550, and another pair at £1400. Younger Heifers were the same as the Steers with J Vincent of Pillaton seeing his single Simmental x Heifer at 14 months to £1110, with M C Winn with a 12 month showy Heifer to £1095.
United Auctions, Stirling on Wednesday 20 April 2022 sold 2113 store cattle. Heifers (934), averaged 234.77p and to £1640 for a 646kg SimX from Shieldburn. Young Bulls averaged 207.59p and to £1060 for a SimX from East Cauldcoats.

On Wednesday 20th April at Carlisle, Harrison & Hetherington had 1188 cattle forward at their weekly sale comprising of 592 Store Cattle, 260 store bulls and weanlings, 226 calves. Featuring in the top prices of a fantastic sale, Simmental crosses from Messrs Potter, Cardew House, Carlisle sold to £1840.

At Dungannon Farmers Mart on 20th April, Dropped Heifer Calves peaked at £335 for a Sim presented by a Dungannon Farmer.
At Morgan Evans & Co Ltd, Gaerwen Auction Centre, Anglesey on 19th April, a fast OTM trade was toped at 173ppk for a 714kg Simmental cross.

At Lawrie & Symington’s sale of store cattle at Forfar on 19th April, 113 heifers sold to a top of £1460 for a 652 kg Simmental cross from W. Stewart & son, Newton of Inshewan.

On 19th April at Bentham Livestock Mart sale, Farmers Stirks, 712 forward. One of the largest entries to date saw trade remain firm with plenty of customers in attendance including some from Aberdeenshire and a strong Yorkshire contingent. A nice run from Mason & Gardner, Philpin saw a strong Simmental heifer top the heifer trade at £1210.

At Quoybrae, Caithness on 18th April, Aberdeen & Northern Marts sold 619 store cattle. Bullocks (357) averaged 247.3p and sold to £1,740 gross for a 758kg Simmental Cross from Brae Edge, Castletown. Heifers (262) averaged 234.8p and to £1,565 gross for a 693kg Simmental Cross from Ha, Durran.

Within Rugby Farmers Mart’s sale on 18th April, a good yarding of Breeding Cattle saw a nice enquiry for future breeding. Aged Cows and Calves from Messrs Herbert saw a top of £1670 for a Simmental Cow 2012 with 4 month Steer calf at foot with others £1620. Younger units from Ibbetson & Crawley saw £1730 for 2018 Simmentals with 3 month Simmental Bull Calves at foot with 2014 units similar at £1720 and £1700.

On 16th April, United Auctions sold 701 cattle at Huntly. 314 heifers sold to average 238.5p per kg and to £1520 for SimX’s from Auchnascraw.

In a sale of calves at Sedgemoor on 16th April, the top price was £435 for a superb young Simmental from RD Knight & Son, same Vendor £368 and £325.

In a sale of 145 store cattle from Orkney consignors at Aberdeen & Northern Marts Thainstone centre on 15th April, Bullocks Sold to a top of 296.6p per kg for a 386kg Simmental from Maesquoy Farms, Harray. On the same day a sale of store cattle on behalf of Shetland consignors, saw (35) bullocks sell to a top of £1,240 gross for a 550kg Simmental from J & K Scollay, Tirvister.

Again at Thainstone on 15th April, Aberdeen and Northern Marts held a sale of 1,504 Store Cattle, Young Bulls and Young and Weaned Calves. Heifers (643) averaged 243.3p and sold to £1,490 gross for a pen of four 584kg Simmental crosses from Mill of Kintocher, Craigievar. Bulls sold to 235.4p per kg for a 412kg Simmental cross from East Cairnorrie, Methlick.

At Aberdeen & Northern Marts Prime Cattle Sale on 14th April, the small section of heifers averaged 234.1p and sold to 241p per kg and £1,735.20 gross for a 720kg Simmental from Lost Farm, Strathdon. On the same day Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 240 Cows and Bulls to average £1,438.56 (206p per kg.) Beef Finished Cows (116) averaged £1,639.65 and sold to £2,230 for a 996kg Simmental cross from Milton of Noth, Rhynie. Beef Feeding Cows (91) averaged £1,212.14 (+£2.08) and sold to £1,510 (thrice) including a 808kg Simmental cross from Candyglirach, Drumoak.

On 14th April at Caledonian Marts, Stirling, Prime Bullocks sold to £1813 for a Simmental from J & J Brown, Loanrigg.
At Frome’s prime cattle sale on 13th April and the UTM steers, a quality Simmental from Messrs AH Collins roared to 209.50p/kg or £1621, the day’s top gross price, with others from Waddon Farm sold to £1382.

On Wednesday 13th April at Carlisle, Harrison & Hetherington had 1303 cattle forward at their weekly sale comprising of 651 Store Cattle, 296 store bulls and weanlings, 316 calves. Trade was as good as ever with a day’s top of £2000 achieved for a Simmental cross steer for regular vendors Messrs Robinson, Rowell Farm, Milnthorpe.

At Exeter’s sale of TB restricted (orange) cattle on 13th April, the store cattle section saw steers top a £1520 for a pair of well grown Simmental bullocks (21m) from Jesse White of Sandford.

At Lodge & Thomas’s Truro Livestock Market on 13th April, prices for cull cows were sitting at an all-time high. Beef types sold to a top of 197p/kg including a smart 689kg Simmental from Messrs J G A Raymont & Son of St Merryn, Padstow, purchased by Dawn West Devon of Hatherleigh.

At Lanark on 12th April, Lawrie and Symington Ltd sold 981 Store Cattle at their April Show & Sale. Heifers peaked at £1630 for a Simmental from Penicuik Estates.

SIMMENTAL CENTRE RECORD FOR PRIME BULL AT CARLISLE! On Monday 11th April, Harrison & Hetherington held their weekly sale of Primestock and with an entry of 71 prime bulls. A fantastic trade was achieved throughout. Setting a new centre record for the Simmental breed – the previous record was only set in the previous week – was Messrs Goldsbrough, Oakrigg Farm, Moffat selling a 1076kg bull to £2404 and purchased by A & D Meats.

At Market Drayton’s sale of barren cows and cull bulls on April 11th, stock bulls sold to 177p (£1,699.20) for a Simmental from the Roe family.

In a sale of store cattle on 8th April at NWA’s Lancaster Market, Continental bullocks peaked at £1640 for a Simmental from JA&SM Allen, Windermere. Simmental heifers sold to £1380 for a pen of three from EJ Burrow, Milnthorpe. On the same day Simmental cows sold to £1676 from Barlow Bros, Croston.

At Frome’s Prime Cattle Sale on 6th April a good show of UTM heifers saw Messrs LJ Curry’s outstanding Simmentals which roared to a huge £1707, the top gross price on the day, or 229.50p/kg and £1638 or 227.50p/kg.