LATEST MARKET BRIEFS SEES SIMMENTALS TOPPING COMMERCIAL SALES AROUND THE UK AND AT CARLISLE; DUNGANNON; DINGWALL; LANARK; STIRLING; FROME; ABERDEEN; HALLWORTHY; OSWESTRY; DARLINGTON; HEXHAM; LANCASTER; TRURO; AYR; EXETER; PRESTON; AND HUNTLY

Here’s a catch up of just some of the latest Simmental market briefs as the breeds all-round, dual purpose qualities sees Simmental cattle topping breeding, prime, store, and calf sales around the UK. Future fit, Simmental genetics are gaining increasing commercial recognition for efficiency and profit, and with strong ‘green’ credentials. AHDB’s confirmation of the breed’s age at slaughter abilities is coupled with Simmental sired progeny being fast growing with terrific weight for age, hitting industry specs and producing high quality carcases with a high retail beef yield. Long regarded as maternal mainstays of the suckler herd, Simmentals are high quality suckler cows; full of milk; fertile; easy calving; can calve at two years old; and who can wean calves at 50% of their bodyweight at 200 days. These are the natural attributes of the modern British Simmental and striking a chord with commercial beef producers:

At H&H’s Borderway Market, Carlisle on 27th July, the weather had cooled down but Ring 4 had heated up with both trade and quality up on the week. Bulls and weanling cattle took a big rise in trade with bulls topping at £1455 for a Simmental from Messrs Hague of Whitehaven. The same good home also had another Simmental bull at £1420.

At Dungannon Farmers Mart on 27th July, dropped heifer calves sold to a top of £350 for a Simm presented by R Fields.

At Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd sale of prime cattle on 26th July, prime bullocks averaged 256.8p per kg (+9.6p) and sold to 260.0p per kg for a 595kg Simmental cross from Shoreton Farms, Culbokie selling to Messrs John M Munro Ltd, Dingwall.

On Tuesday 26th July, Lawrie and Symington Ltd had 196 cattle forward to the fortnightly sale at Lanark. Bullocks sold to a top of £1480 for a pair of 635kg Simmentals from Parklea.

On Monday 25th July 2022, Caledonian Marts Ltd Stirling had forward 241 Store Cattle at their fortnightly sale. Bullocks averaged 226ppkg selling to 250ppkg for a pen of Simmentals from J Cameron, Balbuthie, Fife and to £1330 for a pen of Simmentals from R Nelson, Blairmains, Culross.

At Frome’s store cattle sale on 22nd July, quality wanted with fast bidding holding prices well considering the dry weather conditions. Best bred and reared young Simmentals sucklers from Martin Blow, IOW, a highlight selling from £870 to £915. Young heifers equally wanted with Martin Blows Simmentals selling well to £885 (15mo).

On 21st July, at Aberdeen and Northern Marts sale of prime cattle prime cattle, under 30 month prime bullocks averaged 242.3p (+8.4p) and sold to £1901.25 gross for a 845kg Simmental cross from East Cairnbeg, Laurencekirk. On the same day at a sale of cast cows and bulls, beef feeding cows averaged £1228.26 (+£4) and sold to £1470 for a 756kg Simmental from Maesquoy Farms Harray. Boning Cows averaged £896.66 (+£200.18) and sold to £1030 for a 580kg Simmental.

In the sale of store cattle at Hallworthy on 21st July, younger Steers from AM & VR Pascoe of Helston saw a real trade, these well fleshed and grown steers saw a top of £990 for 13 month Simmental x Herefords.

In the sale of calves and weanlings at Oswestry on 20th July, Simmental bulls aged 6 months sold to £628 and Simmental heifers aged 5 months to £535 all from I G & G M Evans & Sons, Pendugwn.

Leading the steer trade at Darlington’s store cattle sale on 18th July was a well grown 15-month-old Simmental from Chopwell based A Willey which reached a healthy £1385.

A hefty Simmental cross steer secured the top price of £1520 at Hexham and Northern Marts sale of 70 store cattle on 15th July for Messrs Walker Bros, Sately and who averaged £1431 for six fine examples.

At H&H’s Borderway Primestock Sale at Carlisle on 19th July, Simmentals sold to a top price of £2047 for 848kgs from Messrs Lowry, New Steadings, Lanark.

Aberdeen and Northern Marts, on 15th July, sold 946 store cattle, young bulls and young and weaned calves and 19 adult head of breeding cattle. Bullocks (500) averaged 248.6p and sold to £1,930 gross for a 830kg Simmental cross from Woodend, Muir of Ord. Bulls sold to £1,405 gross for a 634kg Simmental from Mavsey, Lybster.

Lancaster Livestock Auction Mart’s sale of calves and weanlings on 15th July saw strong calves and weanlings meet with a big demand. Plenty of those strong calves sold in the region of £400 with a run of bull calves from Lawson Dairy Limited, Cockerham stealing the headlines selling Simmentals to £425.

In a sale of cast cows and bulls at Aberdeen & Northern Marts on 14th July, beef feeding cows averaged £1,224.22 (+£48.18) and sold to £1,490 for a 716kg Simmental cross from Hillhead, Lybster Boning Cows averaged £696.48 and sold to £1,050 for a 604kg Simmental cross.

Hallworthy’s sale of store cattle on 14th July saw a grand trade for the fleshy cattle. Top spot going to Treleaven and Old of St Minver with an outstanding run of Charolise cattle at 24 months, his best pair of steers to £1465 and a sappy single to £1400, his heifers topping out at £1305 and a trio at £1250. Younger cattle saw R Cobbldick of Trelash topping the heifers with a pair of Simmentals to £955.

At United Auctions Stirling Market on 13th July 2022 sold 419 store cattle, native bred cattle and young bulls, 210 breeding cattle and 95 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls. In the breeding cattle, cows with bull claves were topped by Glenpark Farms with a Simmental at £2450. Further Simmental lots from the same farm made £2300, £2250, £2100 & £2020.

At Frome’s sale of cull cows on 13th July, a run of Simmental cows from Tuckmarsh Farm Ltd and Portesham Dairy Farm set the trade alight with prices at 199.50p/kg or £1618 and 194p/kg or £1484 respectively.

In the store cattle sale at Truro Livestock Market on 13th July, the trade for one year old steers was led by Simmental x to £1285 for Messrs I D & S S Backway of St Eval, Wadebridge. The trade for one and a half year old heifers was led by Simmental x to £1200 for Mrs B Baxter of Porkellis, Helston. On the same day a Simmental x bull made top price at £340 to lead the rearing calves on behalf of Messrs N J & L Goldsworthy from Tregony, Truro.

At Hexham’s sale of cast cows on 12th July, a Simmental cow from Mr R M Johnston, High Fotherley Farm sold to £2010.65, and was one of three cows selling to over £2000 at the sale.

In Ayr Markets sale of calves and stirks on 12th July, a Simmental bull calf from Daldowie led the trade at £460. In the stirks a Simmental Bull topped at £880 from Auchentibber who also topped the heifers with a Simmental at £775.

An excellent early July entry of store cattle sold to another strong trade at Exeter on 8th July with buyers from all over the West Country and beyond looking for all ages and types. Store steers rose to a top of £1480 given for a couple of grand Simmental crosses from Dan Tooze of Broadsands whilst a tremendous run of suckler bred Simmental steers from Stephen Pearce of Menheniot saw eye catching bunches to £1470, £1445 and £1440.

At Stirling on 6th July, United Auctions sale saw beef cows and bulls average 189.08p to 231.90p per kg for a SimX from Tulloch Farms.

Truro’s sale of rearing calves on 6th July saw a smart Simmental x heifer lead the heifer section when making £250 on behalf of Messrs T N & M Morrow from Ladock, Truro.

SIMMENTAL CROSS COW WITH HEIFER CALF SELLS TO £3,900 AT THAINSTONE
Aberdeen and Northern Marts on 1st July sold 103 head of adult breeding cattle. Heifer with bull calves sold to £2,250 for a Simmental cross with Limousin cross from Upper Sauchen, Ordhead. Cow with heifer calf sold to £3,900 for a 2017 Simmental cross cow with Limousin cross from Welton of Creuchies. On the same day and at a store cattle sale for Orkney consignors, heifers sold to a top of £1,055 gross for a 436kg Simmental from R J Thomson, Trondheim.
At Lancaster Livestock Auctions sale of store cattle on 1st July, all types in plenty of demand and the trade remaining strong. Simmental steers from L Goodier & Son, Lea led the way selling to £1660.

A sale of calves at Exeter on 1st July met a sharp trade throughout with plenty of buyers present ready to get stuck in. Top of the day was £300 for a smart (1m) Simmental bull in from M R & K M Pring of Broadclyst with others from the same farm at £245 (1m).

The sale at Caledonian Marts, Stirling on 30th June saw cast males sold to 228ppkg for a Simmental from South Quarter, Kingsbarns and to £1690 from the same home.

At Brockholes Arms Auction Mart, Preston, on 29th June, overall top spot in the steer section went to J & A Heap & Sons with Simx at £1,270, Blacklidge Bros also with Simx to £1,250.

United Auctions on 22nd June sold 115 store cattle and young bulls and 89 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls. Bullocks averaged 239.90p and to £1150 for a 480kg SimX from Little Aiden. Beef cows and bulls averaged 194.58p to 263.90p per kg for a SimX from Kilmux, and to £2280 for a SimX from Kilmux.

At Dingwall on 21st June and Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd sale of prime cattle, bullocks averaged 252.5p (+8.1p) and sold to 256.0p per kg for a 580kg Simmental cross from Kincraig Farm, Invergordon and £1,606.05 gross for a 645kg Simmental cross from Bridgend Farm, Dingwall both selling to John M Munro Ltd, Dingwall.

OTM MARKET RECORD OF £2180 AT HUNTLY
At a United Auctions Sale at Huntly on 16th June, OTMS averaged 202.8p per kg selling to a top of 229.3p per kg for a 750kg SimX from Corskie, Garmouth. Top gross and a market record being achieved at £2180 for a 975kg Sim from Messrs Green, Corskie, Garmouth.

Photo from Simmental library.