As producers succumb to the very dry conditions, many of the cattle at Leongatha, Thursday, were there only because of the lack of grass or water.
While Landmark SGL offered many well-bred cattle, from young calves through to heavy yearling steers, overall the yarding of 2458 head included many breeds, and a big range of quality and weight.
Strong demand from two processors, for yearling steers to grain feed, created a solid market.
Of 25 pens offered by Landmark, 21 were purchased for grain feeding.
Prices for these Angus, Hereford and Murray Grey steers were unchanged compared to this sale two weeks ago.
A single bullock, which weighed 745 kilograms, sold for $1700, and steers, mostly 0-2 teeth, weighing between 420-550kg, sold from $1260-$1500 per head, or 270-302 cents per kilogram liveweight.
Landmark also offered a few pens of crossbred and Friesian steers, and this saw the better crossbred steers make $1200, and the many Friesians make $660-$910.
S&Y Tamburo sold 60 Angus steers from $1330-$1500, and Deepfields P/L, Romsey, sold 76 yearling steers from $1270-$1460.
Hengsberger & Lloyd, Dumbalk, sold a range of steers form $1360-$1480.
All other agents offered smaller lines of all classes and breeds of steers, which sold to a reduced field of buyers.
Prices here were firm to mostly cheaper, driven in part by their weight and condition.
M&D Trigg sold 23 yearling Angus steers from $970-$1240, and D McAlpine, sold 10 crossbred steers from $1140-$1255.
Some younger steers sold well, but not all, giving someone prepared to pick through the market the chance to buy at cheaper rates.
Selling well was the annual draft of Angus steer calves of Emu Valley P/L, Leongatha South.
They sold 284 steers, ranging from young, light weight calves to their top steers weighing 315kg.
Strong repeat buyer competition saw them sell from $600-$1060, with 50 steers, 250kg, making $960 or 384c/kg lwt.
All breeds of beef cattle sold to the very mixed competition.
Most of the steers weighing from 220-300kg lwt sold from $610-$915, but the varying demand saw liveweight prices equal from 245-325c/kg lwt.
BJ O’Loughlin sold 76 Angus steers from $600-$920, and Malandra Past Co, sold 71 Angus and Hereford steers from $660-$915.
Heifers all sold at cheaper rates, some more so than others, and this was not designated to any particular age weight or condition.
Three Springs, Leongatha South, sold a range of heifers, the top weights making $1000-$1110, which was the top of the sale. They also sold younger heifers between $480-$630.
Throughout the sale of heifers, equivalent liveweight prices ranged from 200-250c/kg.
Trandarra, Moondarra, sold 43 Angus heifers from $755-$935, the top weights equaling 267c/kg lwt.
BJ O’Loughling sold 56 Angus heifers from $635-$740, for one of the better outcomes.
G&L Simmons, Woodside, sold 32 Hereford heifers, Karoonda blood, from $530-$1080, with a weight range of 258-442kgs.
Only a few cows and calves were offered, and AJ Vullermin, Fish Creek, sold 13 Angus cows of mixed-age, and in very good condition, with young, quality Leawood Angus calves at foot. These sold for $1400, while the other cows and calves made between $830-$1000.
