Dairy Round-Up 2012

Another busy year for the Greenslade Taylor Hunt Farm Sales Team witnessed Sedgemoor Auction Centre cementing itself as the dairy centre of the South with hugely successful Collective Sales, the largest weekly Dairy Market in the UK, and an inaugural elite sale providing many top prices of the year. 

The jewel in the GTH crown this year was the decision to make our Collective Dairy Sales monthly.  With an average of 240 head in each of the 12 Sales, they encompassed fresh milk entries from some of the West Country’s leading breeders to include regular consigners Simon and Roland Bugler who sold over 100 freshly calved cows and heifers throughout the year to average just short of £2100.  With smaller dispersals being incorporated in these monthly sales they proved the ideal place for vendors to market anywhere from 1-100 cattle to their maximum potential, in front of large company of purchasers.

In 2012 GTH held two special sales, the first of these was the inaugural Spotlight Sale in July of Pedigree Youngstock, and although the climate was ‘off the boil’, the sale was heralded a success by vendors and purchasers alike.  With cattle entered from as far afield as Cheshire and West Wales the top price of 4600gns was achieved from David and Claire Jones’ Wiltor herd, based in Wales with “Wiltor Observer Shaz” selling to a local Somerset farmer.  The second special sale of the year was the Annual Christmas Cracker Show and Sale which this year had £1400 sponsorship and encouraged a wealth of quality cattle to Sedgemoor travelling from as far as Essex.  The buyers enjoyed the festive cheer on offer and spirited bidding ensured a phenomenal trade through out the sale with a freshly calved heifer “Saddlers Bluey 5^th” from AG Lambert & Partners selling at 3300gns and the 120 cows and heifers on offer averaging £2000.

Dispersal sales kick started the year with the first on farm sale being 400 head for EG Cox & Sons at Crewkerne.  The trade was flying in particular for youngstock with commercial and pedigree heifer calves averaging almost £600.  Another exceptionally large sale was the 470 Holsteins from the Higher Burrow Farm Organic Partnership, put under the hammer along with dairy equipment and machinery at the beginning of September. This was the largest sale of organic dairy cattle in 2012 and drew a huge amount of interest and produced an excellent trade.

Derek Pyle’s dispersal of his ‘Hemburyfort’ herd in June this year was another to stimulate great interest with the herd being well classified with a large number of highly respected families both home grown and purchased, generating a top price of 4400gns.

The year saw exceptional demand for all breeds including a dispersal of a Montebeliarde and MRI crossbred dairy herd for the Loder family of Chard.  The cattle on offer were a hardy breed with excellent milk records and produced an exceptional average of £1600.  Jerseys also had their day selling for 2200gns in the first Collective Sale of the year with a consignment of freshly calved Jerseys from SE Lane & Partners.

Not forgetting the ever increasing Saturday Dairy Market at Sedgemoor which in 2012 averaged 74 dairy cattle per week, making it the largest weekly Dairy Market in the country providing the ideal place to regularly find replacements.

January 2013 will start the year quietly but with the commencement of the Monthly Dairy Collective Sales on the 29^th January including a fantastic little dispersal, it won’t take long to gear up to what we hope will be another busy year for the farm sales team!

Top Prices of 2012

For further Information please contact:

Andrew Clements 01278 410250 andrew.clements@gth.net

Spotlight Sale 2012 Second top Price (3700gns) ‘Sterndale Larson Rose Red’