IN STARK contrast to Northern Victoria, south-west Victorian producers have been looking to the sky for rain.
After the dairy heifer sale on Friday afternoon at Colac, Charles Stewart & Co's Malcolm Hallyburton said while there had not been a break yet, prices managed to remain firm in places.
"It was solid, without being over the top," he said.
Friesian heifers returned $1500-$2250 a head, while Jersey heifers reached $1550.
Crossbreds averaged an estimated average of $1400.
A small crowd of buyers bid on the 270 head on offer, with most going to Camperdown.
Vendor and Swan Marsh farmer Mick Melville said he was pleased with the sale results, after receiving the top price of $2250.
He cleared 21 joined Friesian and Friesian-cross heifers, with 50 years of breeding behind them.
"I thought they were excellent prices," he said.
Despite this, plenty of buyers managed to find bargains on the day.
Volume buyer Geoff Higgins managed to snap up 50 Friesian and Friesian-cross heifers to $1600 to add to his Colac West dairy herd.
"If the price was right, I thought I might pick up about 20 heifers," he said.
"I was expecting the market to be pretty dear, but I'm glad I came along."
Mr Higgins said less competition could have been the reason behind subdued prices.
"I've got a quite a few older cows in the herd that can go," he said.
"And I might choose to sell some of the heifers again in six to eight weeks, depending on the market."
Although pasture on his property was quickly drying out, he said surplus hay and silage would keep them going until a break arrived.
"I'm hoping to improve my herd and bump up milk production, so these heifers will hopefully go a long way in doing that," he said.
Mr Higgins is currently on a domestic payment system, which awards a bonus in July for more milk.
"The bonus equates to about $25,000-$30,000, so it's a big incentive to increase milk production," he said.
Cobden dairy farmer David Hallyburton purchased eight Jersey heifers from $900-$1200, which will join his 210 milkers.
"I thought it was pretty cheap - the weather could have something to do with this," he said.
On Mr Hallyburton's farm, only 20 millimetres had fallen over the past week.
"I'll have to feed them grain and silage, but for the price I paid for these heifers I can justify this," he said.
He plans to eventually register the cattle under his stud Camo Jerseys.
