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PRESS RELEASE - September 2009
The traditional September sales of breeding sheep held by the Welsh Mule Sheep Breeders Association were exceptional as buyers responded to the more buoyant trade for finished lambs. With improving prices overall, farmers felt more confident about re-investing in the future and consequently there was very good demand for breeding stock.
Average prices for yearling ewes at Welshpool on the 9th September were £115, up £24 on 2008 with Mr Hywel Powell, Llwyngwilym, Rhayader getting the best price of £157 for a pen sold to DJ Lloyd & Co, Cefnbarrach, Trefeglwys. Mr Powell also obtained the best price for yearling ewes of £140 from DJ Lloyd & Co at Builth Wells the following day where the average price overall was £117, up by £26. Yearling ewe prices maintained their momentum at Ruthin on Saturday 12th September with average prices increasing by a third on the previous year to £109. RD & CE Davies, Ty Canol, Llanfair Tal-Haearn topped the sale with a pen being sold for £145 to Coed Coch Home Farm, Dolwen, Abergele.
Demand for breeding ewe lambs also drove the market up at Welshpool where prices averaged £75, £11 more than the previous year. E & SM Hughes, High Park Farm, Stoneheath received a record £132 from M Woodward, Rushbrook Farm, Lutterworth for their pen of ewe lambs; the pen also won the ewe lamb competition at the sale. JL Robbins Middle Farm, Chipping Campden paid the best price of £122 for the champion pen at Builth Wells on 13th September, a pen reared by RG & BM Jones & Son, Ty Mawr, Garth, Builth Wells. The average price of £76 was up by £16 on 2008. At the week’s final sale at Ruthin, ewe lambs also averaged £76 with Rita Lloyd Evans, Fron, Cyffylliog paying the highest price of £92 for two pens, one from IT & HM Jones, Rhiwlas Uchaf, Saron, Denbigh and the other from G Davies, Penrallt, Nant y Rhiw, Llanrwst. The ewe lamb champion pen at the sale was produced by GP Williams & Co, Bryn Dansi, Dolwen, Abergele.
“Vendors were pleased by the outcome of the 2009 sales” said the association’s field officer, Marcus Williams. “Prices were much improved and thankfully, the very high standard and quality of breeding sheep will surely satisfy even the most discerning buyer.”
For further information contact:
Field Officer, Marcus Williams on 07768 816919
or the Association’s Secretary: Moss Jones (01970) 636688 or 07770 635156
The final Welsh Mule Sheep Breeders Association sale to be held at the Welshpool Smithfield before auctioneers Welshpool Livestock Sales move to their new premises on the outskirts of the town in November saw exceptional demand for the yearlings and ewe lambs on display. An entry of over 1,200 yearlings averaged £121, £45 more than the previous year, with the best price of £152 being obtained by Mr Gwyn Price, Hafod, Llaethddu, for a pen bought by Mr Penny of Gwernyrychain, Llandyssul, Montgomery. The 5,900 ewe lambs forward sold at an average of £76, up by £25 on 2008, with Mr C J Thomas of Beili Ddol, Rhayader, topping the trade with a pen sold to Mr Wozencraft, Glen Elders, Nantmel for £121.
The last Welsh Mule Association sale of the season was held at Builth Wells and it maintained the buoyant trade with yearlings averaging £115 with a top price of £131 being obtained by R&S Pugh The Llone, Nantmel, Rhayader while 8,000 ewe lambs sold averaged £75 with Messers DM & MM Fairclough of Wern Hir, New Bridge on Wye obtaining the best price of £109 for a pen of ewe lambs bought by Messrs Evans of Bettws Hall, Luxborough in Somerset.
“We were particularly pleased that demand for Welsh Mules carried on throughout the sales season” said Association Field Officer Marcus Williams “Clearly the buoyant demand for finished lamb has helped breeding ewe producers and should certainly bring some much needed confidence back to breeding ewe producers.”
Attached photo: William Jones, Ty Mawr, Garth accompanied by his father Neil and grandfather Gwyn receives the Vernon Wilson Memorial Cup for the best pen of ewe lambs at the Welsh Mule Sheep breeders Association sales at Builth Wells from field officer Marcus Williams with judges Gareth Owen and Dewi Williams