The Store Mart at Whitland on Saturday saw a good entry of barren cows selling to an excellent average of 118.81ppk - an 8p increase on the previous sale or to the equivalent of £600/head.

Top price ppk included 164p for a 320 kilo Charolais from Williams, Talybont, and the top price per head was £1,000 for a 700 kilo Simmental from Bowden, Gwaun Iarll.

Grazing bulls sold to a top of 112ppk for a 750 kilo Limousin from Evans, Tralee.

Overage steers sold to an average of 146.29ppk, while heifers levelled at 152.27p.

An entry of 443 store cattle forward met a solid trade throughout with heifers and steers selling to an average of £595 and £707 respectively; while bulls sold to an average of £360. Steers peaked at £975 for a Limousin from Williams, Blaenlliwe. Bulls peaked at £570 for a bunch of Limousins' from Reynolds, Hafod and heifers made up to £930 for a pair of Charolais heifers from Morris and Co, Loveston.

An improved entry of suckler cows was seen with prices peaking at £1,360 for a Limousin with a Limousin calf at foot from Thomas, Wenallt. Bulls sold to an outstanding top price of £4,100 for a Limousin from Jones, Horton Nurseries.

Ewes and lamb couples sold to a top price of £149 from John, Maen Gwyn.

Weekly Mart

A busy mart at Whitland on Tuesday, April 7, saw a good show of lambs with 1,123 hoggets and 35 new season lambs present.

The best hoggets sold to a top of 192ppk (£88 ahead) with the medium types selling levelling at 176.36ppk (£74.47 a head). A good selection of new season lambs forward peaked at 210ppk (£92 a head) and averaged of 192.17ppk.

Cull ewes and rams, numbering 401, met a steadier trade throughout than has been seen over the past few weeks, with the heavier type ewes selling to an average of £55, while rams and the lighter ewes averaged £57 and £24 respectively. Wethers sold to a top of £48 from Wilson and Partners, Common Church.

An improved entry of 15 quality barren cows saw an improved average of 103.75ppk (£675 ahead) giving an overall improvement of 6ppk and nearly £100/head on the previous week.

The numbers of calves forward was again insufficient to meet demand as several farmers were looking for beef calves - also two new buyers in attendance for Friesian killing calves which were making between £13 and £23. Leading prices: Hereford bull at £246 from Rees, Plasbach, and Simmental heifers to £172.