HEREFORD Market Auctioneers report the following prices at their weekly sale in Hereford on Wednesday.

Prime Hoggetts (1,147): a more selective trade as the well meated sheep command a real premium, but several sheep lacking flesh. Export hoggs sold to £205.3p/kg and a top price per head of £86 for £46kg.

Overall average 168.4p/kg, top price/head £86 for hoggs grading 46kg.

Spring Lambs (954): A very good quality entry with excellent trade, to £98.50 for 40.5kg (243/kg) and £94.50 for 36.5kg (258.9p/kg). Premium weights from 36- 41kg. Don’t get bunches too big. Overall average 221.7p/kg top price/head £98.50 for lambs grading 40.5kg.

Store Hoggetts (45): The smaller entry of 45 Store hoggetts all sold well with prices from £26.50 to £50.

Ewes & Lambs (532): Another good selection of 532 ewes/hoggetts with their 707 lambs included more younger ewes on offer, mostly with some good shaped lambs. Welsh mule yearlings topped the market at £153 for a pen of 14 with their 24 Texel cross lambs. Other better sorts sold from £135 to £152.

Older ewes sold to £143 for a double with other pens of twins from £100 to £142.

Quality was excellent throughout with hoggs and lambs to £146 for Suffolk cross mules with charollais cross lambs. Other black faced hoggs sold from 3112 to £137.

North country mule hoggs again with singles sold from £130 to £142. Welsh mule hoggs were in short supply and sold at £132 and £138, with light faced hoggs with lambs at £124.

Hill type ewes were mostly older sorts and sold to £85.50 for speckles with strong Suffolk cross singles; other ranged from £50 to £75.50. Poorer Lowland ewes sold from £59 to £108 with a total clearance, to average at £106.09.

Cull Ewes (710): A smaller entry but still a very good trade to £89.50, with excellent demand for the best meated sheep.