Restockers are hoping to breed their way out of market volatility by focusing their attention on securing female offerings.
Selling centres across the state have seen increased demand for straight cows, cows and calves and pregnancy-tested-in-calf females in recent weeks.
The demand has also been seen in direct paddock sales as well as online auctions.
Kempsey Stock and Land agent Ian Argue said while females were dear, people still saw value in them especially when you could sell the calf for around $1000.
"Cows and calves are making an average of $1813, and it doesn't take much for a weaner to be worth $1000 and they still retain the cow for breeding purposes," Mr Argue said.
"The drought hit beef producers hard and now there is plenty of feed about they have to get back into business and people can see the value in (cows and calves) as they restock.
People can see the value (in cows and calves) as they restock.
- Ian Argue, Kempsey Stock and Land
"While it's not calving time on the coast, it's what people are looking for and on the flip side vendors are also benefiting as grown females are making big money."
Mr Argue said a pen of Charolais cows and calves recently sold for a top of $2580 at Kempsey but he had heard units were making well over $3000 in other centres.
Ben Hindmarsh from JIm Hindmarsh and Co echoed Mr Argue's sentiments saying cows and calves were a viable option for people to restock after the drought.
He said joined Simmental Fleckvieh heifers recently sold online for $2500 while PTIC Murray Grays heifers from the South Coast made $1800.
But he said Angus cows and calves in paddock sales had been hovering between $2200 to $2600.
"Young cattle are so expensive at the moment," Mr Hindmarsh said
"And when you have 200kg calves making $1000 plus, people can breed their way out of the volatility in the market."
During Tamworth's prime cattle sale on Monday cows hit 327c/kg due to overall supply shortage with an outstanding first pen of Angus cows weighing 700kg off Manilla setting the bar high at 318c/kg, that came back to over $2000.
Plenty of cows made around 320c/kg, including a bulk of the cows offered by Nutrien livestock on the account for several tablelands clients, including a draft of 120 cows sold by TA Field, Congi and another 60 sold by J Lockyer, according to Tamworth Livestock Selling Agents Association.
