Ballarat agents longed for a roof overhead when the weather turned ugly for their monthly store cattle on Friday.
Offering a smaller than advertised penning of 1070 head in cold, wet and windy conditions, prices achieved were back as expected, but were also deemed as satisfactory given the renewed prospects for the upcoming spring.
Graeme Nicholson, Elders said the market was tougher for steers but in line with expected lower prices of the prime and feeder markets.
Heifers, he said, meet with strong competition while small lots of mixed breed cattle generally fetched prices above expectation, these being mostly snapped up by an eager band of local small property operators.
Tom Madden, TB White and Sons said that although Gippsland competition was again missing, Western District and some South Australian buying proved extremely helpful on the day.
Buyers from the Geelong, Colac and Camperdown district, he said proved the volume restocker support while Teys Charlton feedlot and an Allied Beef interest from Colac were the keenest of the feeder buyers.
On the day heavy steers made $1290 to $1510 a head to average 293c/kg. Feeder steers, 360-450kg, made $1170 to $1320, average 305c/kg while steers 280-360kg made $1050-$$1270, av 358c/kg.
Heavy heifers made $1080-$1240 average 290c/kg while heifers 280-360kg made $860-$1210, average 307c/kg.
