New yards pull strong crowd and prices

The crowd was hard to measure, but there was hundreds and hundreds of producers, those selling and those looking, buyers and many staff from the Regional Livestock, and North Victorian Livestock Exchange.

It was agreed by many that this was a great saleyard.

Producers were keen to capture good prices, and sell in the first sale, and this led to 5675 cattle being penned.

It was a hot day, but the roof took at least five to eight degrees off the temperature, but not the competition.

Feedlots and producers were all keen to purchase; the feedlot companies setting the pace for heavier steers and heifers.

A small pen of yearling steers topped the sale at $1120, or 245 cents per kilogram (live weight). Most steers sold between $740 and $995 with only a few over the $1000 mark.

The equivalent live weight prices were 240-275c/kg with some young calves selling from 285-310c/kg.

Heifers sold to strong feedlot competition with most of the heavier heifers selling from $650-$970, or 212-245c/kg.

There were several pens of young heifers sold that made from $450-$620, and many of these were purchased on price alone, as buyers were not prepared to spend over a certain figure.

Cows and calves sold to a top of $1730, most $1200-1550, and some PTIC heifers reached $1370. Some of these prices were measured only at splitting value.