Agents from the south-west and Gippsland provided solid support for the annual Kyneton weaner sale, which again featured strong drafts from local producers.
Kyneton agents yarded 1048 head of steers and heifers, mainly Angus and Poll Herefords.
Buying support also came from Campbell Ross, Ballarat agents and Landmark International, looking to fill a boat order; there was limited bidding from local agents and producers.
Prices ranged from 300-350 cents a kilogram for most lines of steers, most weighing in a band between 300-370kg and up to 299c/kg for heifers.
John Robson, Landmark, said while the cattle were of good quality, the shortage of feed and water had an impact on the sale.
"We are in the second week of January, there are bushfires everywhere, there is not much hay around the place, so quite honestly, I thought it went very, very well," Mr Robson said.
"Talking to some of those blokes down at Camperdown, they have got six inches of green grass.
"Their season is exceptionally good, so they are coming here and not paying ridiculous rates to buy their cattle.
"They are buying the better end of the cattle and they will just go on this real good feed and do very, very well."
Read more: Volume buyers put a floor in Kyneton
He said many local producers were now buying "proper bulls and putting them over proper cows".
"Honestly, you can see it in the calves, our cattle quality over the past 15 years have just gone through the roof," he said.
Dean Coxon, Elders, said the prices were marginally better than some of the sales earlier in the month.
"Heifers sold for 250-270c/kg, that's about the mark where other sales have been," Mr Coxon said.
He said local buyers were not often active at the January weaner sale.
"Typically, we don't buy huge amounts of cattle back in from our weaner sale," he said.
"A lot of them do go elsewhere, we haven't got a huge body of feed locally, but those Gippsland guys were strong."
He agreed the breeding of the cattle, for the weaner sale, was getting better and better.
"We didn't have an autumn at all, but we have had good feed, from September onwards, and the cattle have done a lot since September," he said.
Kieran McGrath, Rodwells McGrath, said it was a solid sale.
"There were few local blokes who bought a few cattle, to put a base in the job," Mr McGrath said.
There were only a handful of Euro steers weighing more than 400kg.
Chris Priest, Kyneton, sold his first pen of 16 Boonaroo-blood Angus steers, 351kg, for $1135, or 323c/kg.
His second pen of 13 steers, 310kg, sold for $990, or 319c/kg.
L& P Mudford offered 14 Banquet-blood steers, 378kg, receiving $1180, or 312c/kg.
Midhill Vineyard sold a pen of 17 Lawson-blood steers, 372kg, for $1170, or 314c/kg.
Cameron Kennedy sold 12 Adameluca-blood steers, 341kg, for $1100, or 325c/kg.
Penmore sold 20 Adameluca-blood bulls, 327kg, for $1060, or 324c/kg.
C Pethybridge sold nine Adameluca-blood steers, 354kg, for $1070, or 302c/kg.
M Knight sold 11 Te Mania-blood steers, 324kg, for $1040, or 320c/kg.
They were among a number of pens which went to the south-west, being knocked down to Clayton Horspole of Charles Stewart Nash McVilly.
Don Slater sold a pen of seven Barwidgee-blood steers, 334kg, for $1030, or 308c/kg.
Langley Pastoral Company, Redesdale, sold its first pen of 13 Weemalah-blood steers, 352kg, for $1120, or 318c/kg.
A second pen of 21 steers, 296kg, sold for $950, or 320c/kg.
Ronnie Phillips sold the first pen offered, 14 Banquet-blood steers, 378kg, for $1180, or 312c/kg.
His pen of 15 heifers, 377kg, sold for $980, or 259c/kg.
A second pen of 15 heifers, 344kg, sold for $870, or 252c/kg.
James Comfort sold 10 Jarobee-blood steers, 334kg, for $1050, or 314c/kg.
Among the steers that went to South Gippsland was a pen of eight Waterford Park Angus/Charolais-cross, 417kg, which sold for $1160, or 278c/kg, to Landmark Leongatha.
Judy Hedstrom, who won the best presented pen shield, sold a pen of 14 Poll Herefords, 370kg, for $1200, or 324c/kg, to Landmark Kyneton.
Barro sold 18 Tarcombe and Red Hill-blood Poll Hereford steers, 330kg, for $1000, or 303c/kg.
A second pen of 17 Poll Herefords, 259kg, sold for $790, or 305c/kg, to Landmark International.
Barro's pen of 15 heifers, 264kg, sold for $790, or 299c/kg.
Springbank, Woodend, sold 10 steers, 373kg, for $1160, or 310c/kg, to SEJ.
The properties pen of 11 heifers, 349kg, sold for $910, or 260c/kg.
The Shea family, Barfold Beef, sold its first pen of 18 Te Mania and Adameluca-blood steers, 317kg, for $1090, or 317c/kg.
J Comfort sold 13 Jarobee-blood heifers, 319kg, for $880, or 275c/kg.
R Slimmon sold 6 Bardwidgee-blood heifers, 345kg, for $870, or 252c/kg.
Karoonda sold 20 Te Mania-blood heifers, 305kg, for $820, or 268c/kg.