CATTLE prices remained firm at Pakenham today as buyers made the most of lighter cattle from interstate.
Several B double and semi loads of cattle from the Bega Valley sold well as dry conditions in southern New South Wales continue to deteriorate, agents said.
Top-end steers and heifers fetched slightly higher prices compared to the last fortnight's sale, however, some agents reported difficulty with offloading secondary calves.
Alex Scott & Staff Pakenham livestock manager David Setches said producers from northern Victoria and southern New South Wales were sending cattle south due to the promising spring start in Gippsland.
"The better lines of cattle sold to the same rates as a fortnight ago reaching 330 to 340 [cents a kilogram] ... but a lot of cattle made $2.80 to $3.15," he said.
"We had a very limited selection of heavy cattle here but the ones that were here sold very well.
"For instance we had some Hereford steers here at 570 kilos which made $3.20 but once we got off the main lines of cattle and into your secondary cattle it fell away quite quickly."
Agents reported a 15 to 20 cent price rise in top-end heifers which averaged between 265 and 290 cents a kilogram.
"We are starting to see New South Wales cattle creep into the system and it is impacting on the sale," Mr Setches said.
"It means there's more cattle to chose from and I think the punters might seize that opportunity which means they jump off some of the better lines of cattle and that brings them down in price a bit."
Landmark Pakenham livestock manager Andy Grant said prices remained firm.
"Sellers and buyers would have been pleased today because the norm seemed to be $3 a kilogram and there was not much above and not much below either for the steers," he said.
"We had a very good run from Glenormiston and I would estimate they made 270 to 280 cents a kilo at least so we were pleased with that."
Nathan Gibbon Livestock manager Nathan Gibbon said light and cross-bred cattle were challenging move on.
"The better cattle have sold well but as per usual the secondary cattle at the moment are hard to sell," he said.
"There was a fair few cattle from out of New South Wales here that were probably under-conditioned and with a full spring in front of us they would give people a bit of opportunity I think.
"I think there's too many cattle around at the moment and it's been very wet here so people are probably not bouncing in to buy cattle and any fodder costs are enormous too."
P Evans, Bass sold 19 steers, 329 kilograms for $1100 or 334 cents a kilogram.
Camoola, Beveridge sold 18 steers, 278kg for $960 or 345c/kg.
K and S Environmental, Devon Meadows sold 17 steers, 510kg for $1790 or 350c/kg.
Crainbrook Pastoral Company, Cobargo, NSW sold 15 Angus steers for $790.
B Hinson, Hazelwood North sold nine steers, 359kg for $1020 or 284c/kg.
In the heifers, K and E Summerell, Wolumla, NSW sold 13 heifers for $660.
DJ and AK Preston, Clyde North sold 14 heifers, 335kg for $910 or 271c/kg.
J P Brewer, Greta sold eight heifers, 300kg for $800 or 266c/kg.