Another high-quality entry of 24 under 30-month clean cattle at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest weekly Monday prime sale again attracted keen interest from both retail and wholesale butcher customers. As a direct result, there was no let up in the trade.

Regular farm shop buyers - Robertshaw’s in Thornton, above Bradford, Skipton-based Keelham and Countrystyle Meats in Lancaster - were once more to the fore when seeking quality local stock as trade settles into usual seasonal demand, coupled with the possibility that demand may further improve as people return to work.

Of the vendors, all regulars, Threshfield brothers Charles and Richard Kitching were once again prominent with both the top gross priced steer and heifer, which each made £1,407.

The 600kg Limousin-cross steer joined Halifax meat wholesalers J&E Medcalf at 234.5p/kg, the 580kg British Blue-cross heifer selling for 242.5p/kg to Robertshaw’s Farm Shop.

It became one of 13 acquisitions – over half the total entry - by James Robertshaw, who was yet again the principal purchaser by far when claiming nine for his own farm shop, the other four for Keelham.

The latter’s buys included the third highest priced animal by weight, a 565kg Blonde-cross heifer also from the Kitching brothers at 247.5p/kg (£1,398), along with the top price by weight steer, a 560kg Limousin-cross from the North Craven-based Smith family in Masongill for 243.5p/kg (£1,364).

Claiming the sale’s leading per kilo price of 248.5p/kg (£1,292) was a 520kg Limousin-cross heifer consigned by regular vendors the Critchley family, from Hutton, which like so many more of their quality beef cattle returned to Lancashire with Alan Beecroft, of Countrystyle Meats Farm Shop, who took home three

Simon Barker returned to claim three cattle for his mart-based wholesale business Barkers Yorkshire Butchers.

The injection into cull cow trade at Skipton continued, confirming improved demand for manufacturing beef. The 24-strong entry sold to an overall average of £858.71 per head, or 122.2p/kg, compared to the previous week’s £804.98, or 120.22p/kg.

Heavy dairies were 125-130p/kg, trade again being led by Lothersdale husband and wife, Geoff and Margaret Booth, with a brace of black and whites at £1,114 and £1,097 (129.5p/kg and 127.5p/kg), Anthony Bolland, of Bolton Abbey, also hitting three figures with a £1,092 dairy. Section per kilo prices peaked at 130.5p/kg for a black and white from Elslack’s Chris Harrison.

Steakers sold to 120p/kg, plains around 90p/kg, with first-cross beef cows trading to a per head high of £1,042 (134.5p/kg), for a British Blue-cross cow from David and Dee Holmes in Castley, with M Mallinson, of Mount Tabor, Halifax, taking top price per kilo of 138.5p (£1,032) for a nice Simmental-cross.

Sales of dairy cattle and dairy-bred rearing calves were also on the same morning’s agenda, and while the fortnightly Craven Dairy Auction attracted only a handful of newly calven milkers another solid trade was achieved.

Brian and Judith Moorhouse’s renowned Aireburn herd at Hesper Farm, Bell Busk, took top call of £2,380 with a home-bred 34-litre heifer, Aireburn Crackshot Fantastic, which joined Kevin Midgley and family in Malton. A second Aireburn heifer also made £2,050 when claimed by Alf Townsend, of Southfield, Burnley.

The two other vendors – David and Margaret Booth, who run the Shawdale dairy herd at Broom House, Lothersdale, and the Petch family, travelling down from Great Ayton – both contributed to a turnout of quality milk heifers, which sold to an overall average of £1,946.

There were four successful buyers, including a few fresh faces, and with demand still exceeding supply, some left empty handed. Dairy farmers with stock to sell are urged to contact dairy sales co-ordinator Sarah Liddle on 07710 795585.

The turnout of 38 rearing calves produced another flying trade, producing a top call of £410 for a British Blue-cross bull calf from Andrew Ayrton, of Eastby, with another solid section average of £371. Blue-cross heifer calves weren’t far behind, selling to £400 for one from Paul and Janet Bolland in Airton, with an overall average of £338.

Of the native youngsters, Aberdeen-Angus bull calves were regularly away at £270 up to a high of £330 for an entry from Edward Fort on Silsden Moor, who also headed the Angus heifer trade at £250. Angus bulls averaged £260 and heifers £208, which looked a very respectable trade for the youngsters on offer.

Sutton-in-Craven’s Richard Spence again returned to top black and white calf trade with a £235 bull, the section averaging £85.