Producers forwarded a reduced yarding of around 1500 cattle at Euroa's annual Angus feature female sale.
Despite the tough season, prices for joined females were $300 to $400 a head above the 2018 sale, topping at $2120.
Buyers were more selective on the weaner heifers working on weight ranges to suit their requirements.
Heifers weighing above 350 kilograms sold generally in a range of $830 to $1090.
Prices for heifers weighing 290-350kg were mainly between $680 and $860.
Connamara Angus, Ruffy, forwarded the first five pens of joined heifers.
The draft of 55, Connamara-bred, 21 months-old, due to calve over eight weeks starting February 21, sold in a narrow band between $2000 and $2120, to average $2080.
Good Hope Pastoral Co, Bonnie Doon, forwarded a draft of 21 month-old heifers, pregnancy-tested-in-calf, that sold in lines between $1660 and $1900.
The best of the cows and calves was a pen of six second and third-calf females with six calves at foot that sold for $1900 by Dennis Heather, Kilmore.
Tooheys, Cobram, sold 15 heifers, not station-mated, 403kg, that made $1090.
Mata Farms offered a consignment of heifers with the tops being a pen of 19 at 408kg for $1060, with other lines making $960 and $1000 on weights of 365kg and 373kg respectively.
Sixteen heifers sold by Simmons weighed 395kg and sold for $1060.
Minto Pastoral sold 58 heifers, 15-16 months-old, that averaged 363kg across two pens for $1010.
Richard McGeehan and Sue Gall, Euroa, received a top of $920 for 22 heifers, 9-10 months-old.
A second line of 24, 317kg, sold for $890 and 25 at 295kg made $775.
Haley Park, Strathbogie, sold 9-10 month-old heifers with its top pen of 19, 347kg, making $930 and a second line of 17, 311kg, making $740.
IngpenFarms, Ancona, sold a pen of 19 eight month-old heifers, 355kg, for $880 and a pen of 13, 304kg, for $670.
The Gooram Springs draft of heifers sold to $860 for a pen of 21 weighing 340kg.
Elders auctioneer Joe Allen, Euroa, said the reduced yarding was expected with a lot of weaner heifers exported and some producers had not been able to carry on their older heifers and joined heifers until this sale.
"It's been a long haul to get where we are and it's going to be a long haul for the next three months as well," Mr Allen said.
He said the first couple of runs of grown heifers, PTIC, were a credit to the breeders.
"Those heifers were every bit of $300 dearer than last year and in my opinion we are heading into a tougher summer than last year," he said.
He said no one really had surplus grass but buyers were confident of a strong cow job next year.
There were opportunities for buyers in the cow and calf yarding "depending on quality", he said.
"Once again people were sceptical about taking cows and calves into summer as the cows will need some looking after," he said.
Apart from a few isolated sales of weaner heifers to go out to the paddock, most sold from 240-270 cents a kilogram.
Mr Allen said the heifers destined for the paddock would come back into the selling pens as joined females and provided the best return on the day at either side of $900.
He said it was a credit to the vendors and producers around the area to get the weight in the calves.
"The genetics are starting to shine through," said.