Two days of competitive bidding at the 45th Annual George and Fuhrmann Weaner Sales at Casino last week recorded an $1100 average for 5800 steers and heifers going to mainly repeat buyers from Walcha to Wondoan, Qld.
Lightweight steers sold to 506 cents a kilogram and heifers to 480c/kg.
During Thursday's European and Euro-cross sale, Paul and Maureen Boland, Coraki, were awarded champion pen of steers and champion pen overall for Charolais/Hereford by Palgrove bulls with the heaviest pen at 441kg making $1890.
Some of those steers sold went onto feed at Moree and will be killed after 130 days, destined for export as branded beef.
It was a good effort considering the season, where even the mid Richmond Valley, normally damp, dried out to the extent that winter rye gave out in October and cattle were supplemented on sugar cane and hay.
"Then the rain fell and the grass grew green and tall - over the fence to tell you the truth," Mr Boland said.
The Bolands' son-in-law Nathan Charters sold a single Charolais/Hereford making $1978.
Peter and Libby Hannigan, Numulgi, sold 250 head for an average 468c/kg at 360kg, including the best pen of Charolais-cross, EU-accredited steers, and a lightweight pen 250kg that made 506c/kg or $1265.
Ken and Michael Somerville, Kyogle, sold weaned Charolais from Santa Gertrudis/Hereford cows, 283kg, for 482c/kg or $1367 going to Walcha EU grass fed finisher Greg Upton.
Wayne and Dianne Hall, Kyogle, sold Charolais cross 346kg to 464c/kg or $1607 going to Wandoan, Qld.
Friday's sale offered Brahman infused weaner calves with Santa Gertudis/Herefords from the Smith families at Urbenville taking the consistent money and Wickham Farms at Killarney the keen bidder.
Jim and Jan Smith, Townview, Urbenville, sold 320 head for an average of $1186, were awarded champion steers on the day and sold their top pen, 312kg, for 420c/kg or $1314. Lighter steers, 305kg, made 468c/kg or $1427.
Jamie and Vanessa Smith, Urbenville, sold 195 steers to an average of 240kg at 482c/kg or $1160 going to Killareny, Inverell and Walcha.
"We are very relieved to have them gone," said Mr Smith. "We yard weaned calves early, on grain, to get them off their mothers."
Jim and Jan Smith, Woodenbong, did the same but sold all progeny early to keep the drought from doing any more damage and for the first time had no cattle to sell at Casino last week.
Three quarters of the Townview heifers went to Paul and Jenny Fuhrmann, Mummulgum, who also sold Charolais cross steers and heifers to a top wight of 350kg.
The effort of getting them to sale was impressive considering the damage sustained during last year's fires with 30km of fencing replaced on one property in the line of the Rappville blaze.
Also on Friday, Darryl Amos, Old Bonalbo, sold first cross Brahman/Hereford heifers, 290kg for 448c/kg or $1302 going back to the paddock as breeders.
The sale was a first in that buyers were separated from vendors and everyone else barred from attending.
The council owned Northern Rivers Livestock Exchange operations manager Brad Willis said he was impressed with how easy the online StockLive platform was to use, with 27 registered buyers and 258 viewers. He appreciated those who respected the request to stay at home.
"Everyone put in a terrific effort in making last week's sales the success they were," Mr Willis said.
"It goes to show that even though we are all dealing with a lot of changes, if we all work together we can maintain business as usual."
