A moderate entry of grazing cows were forward at Whitland Mart on Saturday, January 17, selling to an average price p/kilo of 93.65p or the equivalent of £528 per head.

Achieving the top price per kilo of 127p was a 385 kilo Charolais from Williams, Talybont, and attracting the top bid of £745 was a 650 kilo Welsh Black from Evans, Heol Gwendraeth. Overage cattle peaked at 132p for a 710 kilo Limousin steer from James, Iscoed, Whitland, which eventually sold for £935.

An improved entry of all types of store cattle sold to a very fast trade with heifers averaging £623 (top £920 for a Belgian Blue from Lewis, Panteinon) and steers £637 (top £895 for a Limousin from James, Iscoed). Bulls made up to £1,160 for a Charolais from Lewis, Llangwathen.

Suckler cows and calves reached £1,400 for a Limousin with a very good Limousin heifer calf at foot from Iscoed Farms Ltd, Ferryside. In-calvers sold to a top price of £560 for a Welsh Black from Edwards, Wern Farm.

In the sheep section, in-lamb ewes sold to an average of £57 and to a top of £80 from Evans, Highways, who also sold at £75 and £68. The first entry of ewes and lambs were forward selling to a top price of £129 from Thomas, Dyffryn.

Weekly Mart

A good entry of over 870 lambs forward at Whitland Mart on Tuesday, January 20, sold to a good trade with the medium lambs levelling at 158.77ppk or £66.23 per head. Lambs sold to a maximum of 170ppk (from Morris, Castell Malgwyn) and £79.50 per head (from Williams, Ty Cynog) with the overall market average at 156.83ppk.

An entry of 430 ewes and rams forward met a solid trade with the greatest demand being for the stronger type ewes which sold to an average of £50 and peaked at £70 from Monahan, Portfield Gate - lighter types averaged £22. Rams sold to a top price of £52.50 from Storrow, Rogeston.

Wethers reached a top price of £63 from Morris, Castell Malgwyn.

A small entry of fat cattle forward with heifers and steers averaging 144.80ppk (top 157.5ppk for a Belgian Blue from Reynolds, Pentroydin -£834) and 152.50ppk (top 152.5p from Grodzicki, Llysywern - £945) respectively.

Overage cattle and barren cows numbered 28 levelling at an average price p/kg of 102.96p - an excellent average considering the limited number of Continental cows forward and worthy of note was that half the cows on offer realised over £1/kilo.

Overage heifers sold to an average price p/kilo for 117.16p whilst steers averaged 122.82p.

Bull calves sold to a top price of £100 for an Aberdeen Angus from Davies, Ciliau Fawr, Efailwen.