NEMSA looks to the future with confidence NEMSA, the North of England Mule Sheep Association, remains in fine heart, with a growing membership fast approaching four figures and a solid financial footing, members heard at a well-attended 34th annual general meeting in Settle.

Free demo set to unlock potential for making smaller woodlands more productive Estate managers, agents, forestry contractors and farmers are being invited to a free demonstration in North Yorkshire which will provide valuable information for the timber management of small woods. The small-scale harvesting and extraction demonstration will run from 10.00am to 4.00pm at Bolton Abbey, near Skipton, on Friday, March 23.

Fortnightly Sale of Young Feeding Bulls, Store Bullocks & Heifers, Breeding Cattle. Forward: 908 head of cattle. Comprising: 293 Young Feeding Bulls, 27 Beef Feeding Cows, 580 Bullocks & Heifers, & 8 Breeding Cattle.

Forward: 64 Prime cattle comprising 20 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos), 3 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 41 Cast Cattle incl 3 Cast Bulls. 2526 Prime Sheep comprising 2207 Prime Lambs & 319 Cast Ewes & Rams. 45 Rearing Calves. 10 Dairy Cattle. 8 Loads of produce.

Craven Dairy Auction A small show today but a cracking trade and a good show of quality even though there wasn’t many on offer. The three Pedigree Bulls drew a large crowd and some fierce bidding, especially Ingleview Casper. A well fleshed bull boasting a strong back pedigree sold for £2200 to Mark Goodall of Tong, Bradford. Another bull entry from Brian Moorhouse didn’t quite reach the mark in the ring but sold outside for £1800. In the milkers David Fort topped the day with a lovely, sweet 30kg heifer selling for £1820 to AG Parker of Emley. A run of handy Incalf heifers from Stephen Simpson of Bishop Monkton got away nicely topping at £1300 and averaging £1233.

Fortnightly Catalogue Sale of Store Lambs & Breeding Sheep Forward: 1067 Head. Store sheep a very strong trade. Prices easily on a par with previous sale. Inlamb sheep were slow.

Forward: 64 Prime cattle comprising 26 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos), 2 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 36 Cast Cattle 2,192 Prime Sheep comprising 1,943 Old Season Lambs & 249 Cast Ewes & Rams 51 Rearing Calves 6 Loads of produce

Fortnightly Sale of Young Feeding Bulls, Store Bullocks & Heifers, Breeding Cattle Forward: 629 head of cattle Comprising: 161 Young Feeding Bulls, 16 Beef Feeding Cows, 439 Bullocks & Heifers, & 11 Breeding Cattle. A much larger percentage of 2016 born feeding bulls weighing 370-430kg resulted in an increase on the fortnight for the age category of £65 to level at £1024. Most of this increase could be attributed to the increased weight of the entry which put upward pressure on the lightweight bulls which are much fewer in numbers.

Forward: 85 Prime cattle comprising 30 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos), 1 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 44 Cast Cattle 2,568 SHEEP comprising 2,150 Old Season Lambs and 418 Cast Sheep. 52 Rearing Calves. 22 Dairy Cattle. 5 Loads of produce.

Craven Dairy Auction (22 head) First sale after the New Year and Jonathon Caygill from Rylstone takes the top honours with a cracker of a homebred heifer selling for £2100 to AG Parker of Huddersfield. Reserve Champion a super 2nd calver from Thomas and Elizabeth Simpson of Red House Farm, Ripon made the top price of the day giving 42 litres was snapped up by Brian Blezard of Ribchester for £2180 with their second prize cow heading to the same home for £1780.

Monthly Sale of Stirks, Weaned Calves and Young Stores together with Goats and Store Sheep Forward: 71 cattle and 22 goats. A fast trade today with prices seen to be keener than those at the previous sale for what was a mainly young selection of 6 to 9 month old cattle. Some nice dairy cross continental bullocks finding favour and selling well, whilst younger cattle attracted usual interest.

Fortnightly Catalogue Sale of Store Lambs & Breeding Sheep Forward: 1311 Head, Overall av £50.67 CCM Auctions reports a sharp trade for store sheep at the opening sale of the new year. Best sorts were keenly contested with either side of £70 seen for strong lowland lambs, and Mules topping at £64 for a pen full of 80 wethers. Entries required for next sale with feeders keen to keep fields full due to a good supply of beet.

Forward: 54 Prime cattle comprising 22 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos),) & 32 Cast Cattle 3,563 Prime Sheep comprising 3,228 Prime Hoggs & 335 Cast Ewes & Rams 117 Rearing Calves 3 Loads of produce

Rearing Calves to £450 A large show of calves this morning with the New Year show and sale, Mark Houseman of Church Farm Enterprises took the Champion rosette with a tremendous British Blue calf which Judge Tony Binns said “I picked it out soon as I walked in the pen”. The calf that was 6 weeks of age sold for £440 to the Judge Tony Binns, however it was another big dark blue from the JP&KE Hartley of Bolton Abbey which took the top price of the day at £450 selling to Simon Thompson of Driffield. More than half of the British Blue bulls on offers today saw £400+ with Pickersgill brothers from Hawksworth reaching £400 twice for their Limousin consignments.

Fortnightly Sale of Young Feeding Bulls, Store Bullocks & Heifers, Breeding Cattle Forward: 1,021 head of cattle Comprising: 275 Young Feeding Bulls, 16 Beef Feeding Cows, 720 Bullocks & Heifers, & 10 Breeding Cattle. An increased turn out of cattle for the Opening Sale of 2018 at Skipton Mart attracted the usual large contingent of buyers from across the country looking for cattle.