PART TWO OF THREE: SIMMENTALS TOPPING COMMERCIAL SALES IN AUGUST AT 32 MARKETS AROUND THE UK!

SIMMENTALS TOPPING SALE SECTIONS AT: SEDGEMOOR; SKIPTON; SELBY; ABERDEEN; GISBURN; HALLWORTHY; CARLISLE; MARKET DRAYTON; DINGWALL; SALISBURY; MALTON; BAKEWELL; RUGBY; HEXHAM; THAME; CROOKLANDS; THIRSK; SHREWSBURY; STIRLING; EXETER; WHITLAND; LUDLOW; FROME; MELTON MOWBRAY; DARLINGTON; CARMARTHERN; AYR; MONMOUTHSHIRE; DUMFRIES; BALLYMENA; PENRITH; AND SWATRAGH

Analysis of Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) data has shown Simmental gives beef producers more. Industry leading age at slaughter, whether sired by a Simmental or out of a Simmental dam, reductions in finishing costs, and lower emissions meeting environmental challenges. The ultimate combination for Daily Carcase Gain has been shown as the progeny of a Simmental bull out of a Simmental dam, and with the highest rates of DCG, attained by both Continental and Native sires, being for progeny out of Simmental dams. It’s tremendous economics for commercial beef producers.

It’s part two of three of Simmentals topping store, prime, breeding, cull, and calf sale sections at markets round the country in August 2024.

Hexham and Northern Marts held its weekly sale of 224 Store Cattle on 23RD August with trade throughout the sale being very strong and with no let-up in trade on short keep cattle. Leading the sale with a Simmental cross steer at £1960.00 was Mr Douglas Green, Longlea. At £1760 was a thick Simmental cross heifer from Riding Mill producer Mr R M Johnston, High Fotherly.

On 23rd August at Thame Farmers Auction Mart Ltd sale of 264 cattle, a large entry for the TB Exempt Sale met a strong trade for all. Red Lion Farms topped the steer trade with a trio of Simmental steers at £1620. Dave Alder sold his single suckled Simmental x heifer at £1685 to top the sale.

North West Auctions Jct 36 sale of 115 calves and stirks on 22nd August saw a top call of £530 achieved by MH&AR Robinson, Kendal for a Simmental bull.

In a sale of 200 store cattle at Hallworthy on 22nd August, the Heifer section was led by the Backway Family with four cracking Simmental x Heifers at £1590. The same vendor sold four Simmental x Steers at £1500 at 16 months old and three other Simmentals at £1420 at only 14 months old!

At Thirsk’s sale of 166 cattle on 22nd August, the best grossing cull cow at £1908.59 was a Simmental X from F & D Cornforth, Old Byland purchased by JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor.

In a sale of store cattle at Shrewsbury on 22nd August, store bulls were topped at £1050 for a 405kg Simm from Messrs Griffiths Farms Ltd. A 645kg store heifer from the same vendor sold for £1695. 19 month old Simm steers from R&EM Lightfoot sold for 318.3 ppk.

In a sale of stirks at Gisburn on 22nd August, a proper mix of bulls, steers and heifers both dairy and suckler bred all away nicely with some real highlights in the sale including a beautiful red roan Simmental x heifer topping the sale at £1520 from Mark Taylor.

United Auctions, Stirling, on 21st August, sold 959 store cattle and 211 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls. Bullocks (504) sold to £1930 for a 675kg SIMX from Mollandhu. Other SIMX bullocks from the same homemade £1880, £1860,& £1840. Beef Cows (168) sold to £2440 for a 968kg SIMX from West Mains.

On 21st August and a sale of 269 store cattle at Market Drayton, a 520kg Simmental from D&A Warrington topped the heifers at £1460.

In a sale of cull cows and bulls at Exeter on 19th August, the cull cow section was headed by strong Simmentals from Andrew and George Palk of Marldon with the better two rising to £1438 (788kg x 183ppk) and another close at £1435 (702kg x 205ppk).

At H&H’s 50th anniversary primestock sale at Carlisle on 19th August, steers sold to a day’s top of £2352.52 for a 824kgs Simmental from Messrs Harrington, Hosket Hill, Carlisle purchased by Mr Eric Hall. On the same day, and a sale of prime bulls, Simmentals from Messrs Paxton, South Milmain Farm, Stranraer sold to £2239.74 for 828kgs.

In a sale of barren cows and OTMs at Whitland Mart on 17th August, a strong demand for all classes of cull cattle saw non-tested cows selling to £1,510 for a Simmental from Owen, Cefnypant, with tested cows sold to £1,440 for a 740kg Simental from Griffiths, Rhos. In the sale of 343 store cattle, Young Bulls sold to £1,480 for a Simmental from Jones, Tegryn.

In a sale of TB restricted store cattle on 16th August at Ludlow, steers were topped at £1530 by Simm X’s, with the heifers also topped by Simm X’s at £1550.

At Aberdeen & Northern Marts, Thainstone, on 15th August, a sale of cast cows and bulls saw beef feeding cows (67) Sold to £1595 for a 768kg Simmental Cross from Raefin, Keith.

In a sale of prime cattle at Caledonian Marts, Stirling, on 15th August, beef OTMs averaged 185.26p per kg or £1335 per head selling to £1960 for a Simmental from J Brown, Greencraig. OTM males sold to £1860 for a Simmental from R Wardrop & Son, Easter Coates.

Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd, on August 14th, sold 119 store cattle, 85 adult head of breeding cattle and 50 OTM cattle. Cow with calf at foot (68) sold to £2,650 gross for a Simmental cross cow and calf from Balnuran, Culloden Moor. Cow in calf (12) sold to £1,800 gross for a Simmental cross from Balnuran, Culloden Moor.

In a sale of cull cows at Frome on 14th August, a quality Simmental cow from D & GJ Stevens soared to 226p/kg and £1632 to lead the sale.

At Market Drayton’s sale of 200 store cattle on 14th August, steers were topped at £1,700 for some Simmentals from D & A Warrington.