MONDAY market was off to a good start this week at CCM, with a good ringside of purchasers pushing the calves a shade dearer on the week.

Black & Whites proved the hardest to place again, with young calves £5-£25 and 4/6 week old goods £40-£52, depending on frame. Blue bulls sold to a top of £490 from D Calvert & Son, West Marton. The best calves reached £400+, with nice, sweet-ended mediums £330-£390 and more commercial goods £200-£280. Blue heifers sold to £310 from JR Wellock, Eshton. Medium goods averaged £180-£240 and younger models or plainer goods £130-£180. Angus bulls sold slightly easier, with prices ranging from £160-£200. Angus heifers with size and strength sold at £130-£175, whilst the younger end traded either side of £100.

A strong, clean cattle trade with goods upwards of 330p/kg in every under 30 months section. Paul Baines of Gisburn led the principle prices with his 584kg British Blue heifer, selling at 334.5p/kg (£1,953) to Ralph Pearson, Bradford.

The day’s best steer, a 580kg Limousin at 333.5p/kg, or £1,934, came from Mesrs F&A Smith, Masongill, selling once again to Ralph Pearson. At 332.5p/kg the best lightweight Heifer, a 452kg LImousin made 332.5p/kg, or £1,503, for Paul Baines when selling to Knavesmire Butchers from York. The best bull – away at 328.5p/kg - was a 519kg British Blue from Paul Baines, selling to Robert Pearson on behalf of Ralph Pearson.

Auctioneers and buyers alike were encouraged to see a larger show of sheep this week and lamb trade a touch stronger again on the week – levelling just shy of 250p/kg across the board or an SQQ of 253.9p/kg. Smart lambs and fed lambs of any weight were a good trade, with handy weights seeing a stronger trade on the week and heavies and over weights also a sharper trade. Horned and Mule Wether lambs also seeing a brighter trade than the last few weeks, with bit more interest for these ringside.

CW Marwood & Son of Whenby, York presented some overweight lambs selling to £171.50, £167, and £163. Other heavy and overweight lambs sold to £160 for 47kg Continentals from A&K Kiernan, St Michaels, and £149, £148, £147, and £146 for four lots of lambs weighing 47kg to 56kg from EP&JM Hutchinson of Faceby. Per kilo prices were mainly dominated by handyweight lambs, with 37kg Continentals making 410p/kg or £152 per head from J Hartley of Barnoldswick.

617 Cull Ewes, Rams and Goats also sold on Monday, with less pure ewes forward and more medium ewes. Topping at £64.50, Swaledale ewes sold to an increased trade and Mule ewes sold easier on the week, too. Weightier horned ewes sold £50-£65, lean ewes sold to £40-£50 and the plainer end averaged £28-£38. Monday’s highest priced Texel cull ewes came from J Barnes, Sawley, away at £184.50.

Through trade does seem to be improving as we settle into the new year, more stock is required every week to a full ringside of competitive buyers.

Monday sales - rearing calves10.30am; prime cattle 11.30am; prime sheep 12.30pm.