PRICES were up to $100 a head improved at Euroa's monthly store sale last Friday, without a drop of rain having been received.
"The area is still extremely dry and bare," Euroa agent Michael Curtis said.
"However, and in spite of limited numbers being yarded local buyers have gained some condition of the back of the huge northern rains and pushed prices along.
Buyers from the nearby Shepparton irrigation area were the keenest.
Fattening types of steers and unjoined heifers were the most improved however breeding females were enjoyed a better day out than other recent sales, Mr Curtis said.
A feature of the small 523 head yarding was an attractive display of pregnancy-tested in-calf maiden two-year-old heifers.
These principally made $820 to $945, while several yards of second-calf young cows made from $950 to top the sale at $1100.
The market toppers were a line of 31 Angus second-calvers, PTIC to commence calving March for 12 weeks to Welcome Swallow and Campbell Angus bulls.
The line was sold by Dore Holdings, with a pen of Angus-Hereford second calvers off the same truck and with the same joining making $950.
The top-priced first-calf heifers were prepared by Willow Glen.
Sold on a bid of $945 a head by Rodwells Pakenham, these were a yard of 18 Dunoon and Ardrossan-blood Angus heifers, two-year-olds that were PTIC to commence calving in March to low birth-weight Dunoon-bld Angus bulls.
A second pen of the same made $900 selling again to Rodwells Pakenham.
Wayne Lewis of Tatong was also the major seller of first calf heifers.
Trading as Hillway Pastoral, he cleared a breeder's line of Dunoon-Witherswood-bld Angus heifers PTIC and set for a March calving to $930, av $922, while two pens of
Aratula-bld Angus heifers sold by Mr Lewis made $880 and $850.
He said while prices may have been stronger they remained in a different world to a year ago when a similar line of his first calf heifers made $1380.
The bar has definitely been lowered, he said.
A pen of Good Hope PertAngus-bld Angus heifers, PTIC to PertAngus bulls, also sold at better money making $885.
With Euroa's major weaner clearance completed for the moment a bits-and-pieces yarding of fattening type young steers and heifers met eager demand.
Pens of young steers predominantly made $470-$615, while heifers made $395-$460 to each varying from 180-230c/kg.
A small display of crossbred cows, with young calves at-foot, commenced the sale making $730-$800. These appeared worth the money on the day.