All of Gippsland is very dry, and selling a very mixed offering of 1285 cattle to a much smaller crowd, could, and did prove to be difficult.
This sale, Thursday, was held on the back of the Mountain Calf Sales, which sold to very good competition.
However, luck, or rather, competition was much smaller and weaker at Leongatha.
Competition was not restricted just to Gippsland, but fewer Gippsland buyers aided the cheaper market.
A small selection of heavy Angus yearling steers sold to a NSW feedlot from $1300-$1495, which equaled 253-255 cents per kilogram live weight.
Only two feedlot buyers operated throughout the sale, purchasing a select number of steers, and a few of the yearling, and younger heifers.
One of the better sales on the day was the 46 Hereford steers offered by RF&VM Dowell, Leongatha South.
These weaned steers had been fed on silage, and were in fair to good condition, and sold from $890-$1070.
The two heavier pens purchased for the current live export order.
Weights were displayed, and their live weight prices equaled 292-303c/kg, which was easily 10-20c, or $30-$60 cheaper.
However, this was one of the better sales in a depleted sale.
MA&MH Scanlon sent 35 Angus steers from Wandong to Leongatha, and these steers ticked all of the boxes to fatten for the highest grass fed classification.
These also sold well, making to $1220, or 302-316c/kg lwt.
That was where the buck stopped though with other beef-bred steers selling mostly from $720-$1130. Blackwood Grazing, Trafalgar, who have sold Angus steers a few weeks ago, sold 35 head from $1040-$1130, which only equaled 267-274c/kg lwt.
GA&CS Dick, Glen Forbes, sold 29 Hereford steers from $690-$980, also around 270c/kg lwt.
Crossbred and Friesian steers of all weights, were harder to sell.
A couple of Hereford-Friesian bullocks, 556kgs, sold for $1250, while Friesian bullocks, 651kgs, sold for $1100.
S McQuestion, Kernot, sold Friesian steers, around 14 months, and 427kgs lwt, for $810, and younger steers sold between $370-485.
European breeds, while cheaper, for their weight and quality did not sell too bad.
Behmer Pastoral Co sold Limousin cross steers from $670-$870, and Andco P/L, Mardan, sold Limousin-Angus steers for $950.
S&J Schmidt sold Charolais-Angus and Limousin cross yearling steers for $1030 and $1010 respectively.
By Comparison, heifers sold reasonably well, albeit at cheaper rates.
C&M Tumino, Mt Eccles, sold nine yearling Angus for $1060, and Malabar Farms, 32 yearling Angus to $1045.
Liveweight prices equaled 253-278c/kg. Most younger heifers sold between $540-$950.
Sheridan & Partners, Traralgon, have taken their full Angus herd to EU accreditation, and they sold 24 Angus cows, 7 years, that were the last of their non-EU cows.
PTIC to calve in August to Barwidgee Angus bulls, saw them sell from $1200-$1260.