There were 1448 head of cattle yarded at Wodonga on Thursday, with vendors and buyers welcomed back to the saleyards following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
The sale featured a dispersal from the Webb brothers of Tallangatta Valley, Victoria who advertised 130 Angus PTIC cows, ranging from three to five-years-old, 60 Angus PTIC heifers, 22 months to two-years-old, 100 weaner steers and 100 weaner heifers.
The cows topped at $3260 for two pens of three and a half-year-olds, and averaged more than $3000.
Three pens of PTIC first-calvers, two-years-old, sold exceptionally well, attracting $3100, bought by James Paton, also of Tallangatta Valley.
Andrew Scott of Valley Vista, Coolac was also a volume buyer of the Webb's PTIC cows and heifers, purchasing 63 in total.
Mr Scott said he was chasing a quality line of females to start their commercial breeding program.
"We had a look at their calves and they were tremendous, that really sold them for us," Mr Scott said.
Ian Webb, who has farmed with his brothers Graham and David for decades said they were planning to retire, building a house together at Myrtleford.
"We thought the prices are too good to miss out on," Mr Webb said.
The Webbs usually sell in the January weaner sales but said this year was different.
"Everybody's got the weight in the cattle, they're going earlier and that way they're getting away from the dry season and the fire risk," Mr Webb said.
Elsewhere in the sale, cows and calves sold from $1600 to $3560, the top price paid for a pen of 10 Shorthorn cows and calves from Coventry Pastoral Pty Ltd, Benalla, Vic.
Michael Unthank of Brian Unthank Rural said the older weaner steers sold a tad cheaper than the previous sale, most weighing more than 400 kilograms making from $1700 to $2070.
"They were trading a bit less than 410c/kg to 420c/kg which might have been a bit off the top of the last sale," Mr Unthank said.
However, the younger weaner steers remained firm, those weighing between 300kg and 400kg regularly selling for more than 500c/kg, while lighter weights made up to 600c/kg.
KR and LJ Nichol, Allans Flat, Vic sold a pen of 37 Angus steers, averaging 400kg, for $1855. A second pen from the same vendor, averaging 344kg, sold for $1745.
The top of the Webb weaners sold for $1810, for 20 Angus steers weighing 413kg. The second pen of 20, weighing 377kg, made $1800.
R and PL Campagnolo sold 20 Angus steers, weighing 311kg, for $1710, making 550c/kg.
The McCormack family of Mansfield sold 18 Charolais cross steers, 353kg, for $1715. John McCormack said they usually sold in the January weaner sales but had jumped the gun given the good prices and the country starting to dry off.
Mr Unthank said the heifers also sold firm, with anything with a bit of line about it, 300kg to 400kg, making up to 500c/kg.
"Your feeder type heifers were back to 420c/kg to 430c/kg but they were making that all day," he said.
Coventry Pastoral sold 22 Shorthorn heifers, 515kg, for $1895 and a second pen of 30 weighing 443kg for $1670.
The Webb's heifers sold for a top of $1740 for 20 weighing 376kg. A second pen of 20 weighing 358kg made $1610.
- Full report in next week's edition of The Land