Sales brought forward before long weekend

Instead, the move to hold the sales a week earlier was to allow buyers to travel to the region without competing with the Labour Day holiday traffic.

The four sales were brought forward to the Tuesday and Wednesday before the long weekend and will likely remain that week in the future.

"The long weekend has always created a jeopardy for us with the public holiday on the Monday," Elders Omeo livestock manager David Hill said.

While producers were unable to "have a Christmas", Mr Hill said the basis for holding the sale a week earlier meant those affected by the fires could have some "genuine time off" over the long weekend.

In late January, a handful of producers near Ensay opted to sell their weaner cattle at Bairnsdale as intense bushfires threatened the small community, mainly damaging fencing and pastures to the east.

Hereford breeder Evan Newcomen, Ensay, sold 170 Hereford steers at the store sale last month and said the fire threat had eased in recent weeks.

"Since that sale, even prior to that sale in Bairnsdale, we had a terrific storm and it's just taken the pressure off altogether," he said.

"We had a very good sale at Bairnsdale but the market has improved considerably and I have no doubt those who kept their calves and are selling in Omeo and Benambra will be well paid for their extra effort."

Mr Newcomen said Ensay had received close to 160 millimetres of rain for January and February.

"Our country has never looked like this in the middle of February that I can recall," he said.

"We've got green grass grass six inches high in some paddocks which is absolutely remarkable."