A record wet February for many parts of the Clarence Valley has proven wrong the old adage "it doesn't rain grass" and prices reflected the optimism, with buyers from the Tablelands keen to take advantage of the change in season.
A total of 1097 cattle were yarded at Grafton's store sale last Thursday, selling to a top of $2040 for a pen of Charbray cows with cracking calves.
Heavy steers sold to $1955 and light steers made up to 466.2 cents kilogram, while their lightweight sisters reached bids of 380.2c/kg
Steers to 400kg numbered 622 to average 380c/kg or $960 (248c/kg and $668 at last month's store sale) reaching a top of 466c/kg and $1553.
Heifers to 540kg numbered 270, averaging 309c/kg or $723 (230c/kg and $548 last month) reaching a top of 380c/kg and $1363.
Heavy steers sold to good competition, with two tooth Angus, 506kg, bringing 376c/kg or $1906 while two tooth Hereford/ Simmental, 460kg, made 380c/kg or $1748.
Milk-tooth brindles, 410kg, made 386c/kg or $1583. Milk tooth Charolais 317kg sold to 408c/kg or $1296.
Gordonbrook Station sold Wakefield Charolais/Brahman, 380kg, for 398c/kg or $1515 going to Bindaree Beef. Brangus off the same station, 390kg, brought 398c/kg or $1552 going the same way. Red Brahman, 290kg, made 370c/kg or $1073 going to the DPI.
Trent Kendall, Palmers Channel on the lower river, paid $945 for Baryulgil born milk-tooth Angus, 250kg, and will use them to train campdraft horses while they pay for themselves eating grass.
Peter Lake and Kim McKenna, PK Rural, Gilletts Ridge, were in the market for grass eaters with so much on offer and bought a pen of 11 milk-tooth Speckle Park/Brahman steers, 261kg, from the Gray family, Southgate for 438c/kg or $1147. They paid 445c/kg for slightly lighter brothers, 225kg.
Heavy heifers, 565kg, made 272c/kg or $1537 for Angus. Black baldy heifers, 440kg, made 282c/kg or $1241.
Best cows with first calves, part of the dispersal of the Jean Carlton estate, Ulmarra, brought $2040 going to Robert Thompson for his son Ben, Riverview at Glen Elgin, on the Timbarra, east of Glen Innes. Mr Thompson also bought best Santa Gertrudis cows with calves for $1840 and second calf Charbray cows for $1480.
Angus cows with calves went to Armidale for $1660.