STRONG trade was maintained at Skipton Auction’s Mart’s weekly Monday prime sheep sale, with the 2,470 old season lambs penned for sale again up in price on the week to average £81.38 per head, or 194.92p/kg, overall.

Paul Simpson, of Forest Becks, Bolton-by-Bowland, jointly topped the by-weight prices at 305.3p/kg, a price equalled twice by standalone Beltex pens from John Eddleston, of Great Harwood, who completed a good day by selling further pens at 300p and 294.6p/kg.

Peter and Edward Fox, of Fox Farms in Clitheroe, also presented a 300p/kg Beltex pen, which achieved the day’s leading per head price of £123. February prime lamb champions, Ellis Bros, of Addingham Moorside, again caught the eye with pens at £119 and £117.

Texel entries traded to highs of £115 per head and 264.1p/kg for respective pens from Peter Fielding, of Ripponden, and Brian Church, of Askwith, while Suffolk prices peaked at £103 and 208.1p/kg, for separate pens from RL Wright & Sons, of Airton, and Henry Atkinson, from Harrogate. Ian Marsden, of Hoyland Swaine, topped the Charollais prices with a £101 per head, or 206.1p/kg pen.

Prime cattle numbers also continued to hold up well, with a 83-strong turnout, with the 22 under 30-month entries and heifers having the pick of the trade.

Gross prices were headed at £1,389 and £1,371 by Limousin-cross entries from JW Stockdale & Sons, of Burnsall, with a by-weight high of 247.5p/kg for another Limousin-cross from Baldersby Park’s Malcolm Metcalfe.

The same vendor also presented a Charolais-cross bullock that topped the section per head prices at £1,291, with James Drake, of Carleton, best on weight with a 229.5p/kg Limousin-cross.

Keelham Farm Shop was again the main buyer with ten acquisitions, while wholesalers J&E Medcalf, now operating from their new abattoir in Halifax, bought five cattle and Stanforths Butchers in Skipton a further three, as did Edwards Farm Butchers in Padiham.