There was only 663 head of cattle yarded at the Wodonga saleyards on Thursday but it was one of the dearest sales of the year, prices up by 10-15 cents and large runs of weaners selling for 540 cents per kilogram.
The few cows and calves yarded sold for up to $2765, the top pen of 12 x 12 Angus was offered by S and K Byrne of Laceby, Victoria.
There was a very small number of grown steers in the draft, Corcoran Park livestock agent Bo Helwig said prices were firm on a fortnight ago with most making anywhere from 340 to 380c/kg.
B and C Pastoral, Boorolite, Vic sold 11 Simmental cross steers, weighing 397kg, for $1570/hd.
Mr Helwig said nearly all weaners sold to dearer prices. Mark Larkin of Kergunyah, Vic, offered 14 Angus steers, weighing 312kg, which sold for $1300/hd.
He said the feature run of the day was the 340 Angus calves, aged seven to eight months with Lawsons Angus blood, offered by Fairfield Park, Greta South, Vic.
The lead of their 220 steers on offer were a pen of 60, weighing 255kg, they sold for $1290/hd or 506c/kg.
The seconds were a run of 90 head, weighing 226kg which made $1165/hd or 515c/kg.
The thirds, 66 head, weighed 195kg and made $1050, close to 540c/kg.
The heifers also sold to a dearer market, cattle weighing from 300-400kg selling for $1020 to $1375/hd, while lighter weights, 200-300kg made from $980 to $1155/hd.
A pen of 17 Angus heifers, offered by Barragunda, Mansfield weighed 346kg and sold for $1375/hd.
The tops of the 120 heifers offered by Fairfield Park weighed 215kg and sold for $1090/hd.
Mr Helwig said the prices showed there was still a huge amount of confidence in the job.
"We've probably had the best autumn break we've had for nearly 10 years, we've had 200 mils from the start of March so things are starting to look pretty good here," Mr Helwig said.
He said there were northern buyers at the sale from the Bathurst region who competed strongly for restockers.
While, the very small yarding was put down to the fact that the bulk of the young cattle in the region had already been sold.
"The majority of the cattle in our area our Autumn calvers and the bulk are already gone," Mr Helwig said.
Wodonga-based agents Brian Unthank Rural, Rodwells Peter Ruaro, Schubert Boers and Corcoran Parker conducted the sale.