SEASONAL conditions saw good lines of cattle to be sold at Bairnsdale's cattle sale last Friday, with prices dearer across the board.
Grown Friesian steers, offered by Ray Dean at Stockdale, sold to $1120, averaging $840 each.
Mountain cattleman Ken Connley of Benambra sent in a line of 94 12 month-old steers and 12mth to two year-old heifers because he was running out of water.
He has held onto the best of his progeny for the autumn calf sales next year and is hoping for rain.
"We're running out of water so we had to bring them in to the saleyards," Mr Connley said.
"Higher up there's water but not where we are."
He sold one black baldy steer for $970, Angus steers to $840 and roan Braford steers to $712.
Mr Connley was one of a number of vendors who sold lines of cattle on Friday in a yarding where those looking for a bargain walked away disappointed.
Regular buyer, Ian Lester of King Island, Tasmania, bought 35 head including 16 Charolais steers sent in by Deddick Springs, paying $804 and 17 Hereford yearling steers sent in by M Knott, paying $818.
"They were dear cattle today," Mr Lester said. "I just needed some cattle to fill the truck up. We're having a good season on King Island, but we desperately need rain."
High country cattle are selling well.
At the Omeo show on Saturday, Benambra's Vince and Diane Pendergast told #####italic#####Stock & Land they recently sold mature cows over the hooks for 300 cents a kilogram, returning $900 per beast.
Last Friday, Bairnsdale's store cattle prices continued to surge north of 200c/kg liveweight.
Yeerung Pastoral, Marlo, sold three pens of Angus steers, 21-months-old, to $960, av $910.
Colin Scot & Co sent in 14 Hereford grown steers that sold for $915 each.
Bill and Sandra Livingstone of Livingstone partnership, Buchan South, sold two pens of Angus steers, Banquet-blood, to $895, av $848 each.
M Gibbs sold six mixed Hereford and black baldy steers, for $882.
Woodend Pastoral Co, sent in two pens of Angus steers off Monaro country (NSW) that returned a top of $870, av $848.
A selection of Angus steers, 14-months-old, sent in by Ken and Margie Bridle, of Bridles Better Beef at Genoa, sold to $850, average $669.
A&D McCole, of Buchan, sold a pen of Hereford steers to a top of $764, av $685.
Lou and Sharon Pendergast sold 28 Hereford 20-months-old steers, to $728, av $702; and 12 Angus steers, 20-months old, to $768 - all were off their Fernbank farm. Nine weaner steers from the same vendor returned $550.
Mrs Pendergast was quick to buy heifers in the same market.
Ray Dean of Stockdale sold a line of Angus steers, to $755; Scott Dennison, also of Stockdale, sold Angus steers to $730.
Louise Lee, for ML&GE Less, Munro, sold 31 13-month-old Angus steers to $720, average $708.
P Rosten of Nimmitabel, NSW, sent in a line of Hereford, Angus and black baldy yearling steers that made to $700.
Graeme Connley of Cann River sent in 75 Angus steers, 10-months-old, Kunuma and Hazeldean-bld - they sold to $685, av $660.
J Hayward & Partners sold a pen of seven Hereford weaner steers for $650 each.
Among the young cattle, Nungurner Hills sent in Angus steers - a pen of five returned $605, a second pen made $485.
P Clark also returned $605 on a pen of Angus weaner steers.
Grown heifers also gained value at Bairnsdale.
A pen of three grown Angus heifers from Scott and Sarah Dennison of Stockdale topped the market for female cattle, at $800 each.
Deddick Springs' Angus heifers sold to $746, av $687, while Charolais heifers from the same vendor sold to $658.
Then 12 grown Red Angus heifers, from M Knott, sold to $620.
