Gelantipy's annual calf sale has been cancelled for the first time in more than 70 years.
The cancellation comes two months after fire tore through the region, forcing breeders to offload cattle and seek agistment elsewhere.
It's the first time the sale's been cancelled in its seven-decade history, according to Landmark East Gippsland livestock manager Brad Obst who announced the sale would have a "hiatus" next month at Friday's Bairnsdale store sale.
"To my knowledge the Gelantipy sale hasn't been cancelled since it started back in 1947," Mr Obst said.
"It wasn't a decision we took lightly but it was in consultation with the breeders and the vendors and we thought it was the best thing to do."
Instead, Gelantipy calves will be trucked to Bairnsdale and sold at the special calf sale on Tuesday, March 17.
"As people know the Gelantipy area got impacted fairly significantly with fires and a lot of people lost fences and infrastructure," Mr Obst said.
"The pasture is back, the grass is there but people have had issues with being able to hold their stock with fences being burnt so there's been a fair amount of cattle trucked out of the area to agistment.
"We decided that rather than run with a smaller yarding up there, we'd just have a hiatus this year and bring the sale back to Gelantipy in 2021."
Mr Obst said about 400-500 cattle from Gelantipy and the surrounding areas would feature in the March sale.
The sale is usually held a week after the Omeo, Ensay, Benambra and Hinnomunjie sales.
Light Bairnsdale steers sell to 462c/kg as female demand rises
Widespread rain across East Gippsland contributed to a rise in restocker demand at Bairnsdale on Friday, as demand for breeding stock increased off the back of a wetter-than-normal summer.
Sharp Fullgrabe & Co director Graeme Fullgrabe said the sale was more "slow going" than a fortnight ago.
"It wasn't as good as two weeks ago and the cattle were more European-cross but the sale was still very, very good," Mr Fullgrabe said.
"I don't believe it was as strong as a fortnight ago because we had a couple of orders for a bit less money from the north but those orders couldn't be filled mainly because the lines of cattle weren't here."
Agents yarded about 1200 cattle at the sale.
Ben and Jane Campbell, Nungatta Station, sold 196 steers and heifers after fire burnt a significant portion of their pasture in the recent East Gippsland bushfires.
"The station actually got burnt, pretty much all of it, so they took the cattle off and got them down to their property at Cann River and have had them on hay since the fires," Mr Fullgrabe said.
"The good thing about them is that they were well and truly weaned and good to handle so it was the ideal time to sell them."
Further west at drought-affected Stratford, Bruce Treasure topped the calf section of the sale fetching $1100 or 462c/kg for his second pen of Hereford steers, making $1175 or 446c/kg in the first pen.
Heifers sold to strong demand and in some cases made equal value with their brothers.
Marlo Downs sold 13 heifers, 357kg, for $1370 or 383c/kg.
Nungatta Station sold 17 heifers, 334kg, for $120 or 365c/kg.
Bill Wyndham & Co auctioneer Colin Jones said he thought the sale was stronger than a fortnight ago.
"Especially for the weaner cattle and I'd say the heifers were a bit dearer too," Mr Jones said.
"We had some feedlotters here today but they kept on getting beaten by graziers which has been a while since we've seen that."
Mr Jones said he noticed more restocker competition.
"It was great to see so much confidence in local support because six or eight weeks ago we had no local support or buying demand but now there's plenty of it," he said.
"We've been very fortunate to have good rain in January after the fires and a follow up in early February."
Wingan River Station, Club Terrace, sold a strong line of Charolais steers and heifers, picked up by grass fatteners and feedlotters.
The first pen of Wingan Valley steers, 416kg, sold to $1470 or 353c/kg followed by a second pen, 337kg, which made $1310 or 388c/kg.
In the female section, the top pen of heifers, 385kg, sold to $1370 or 355c/kg.
GV and S Crisp, Omeo, sold five steers, 518kg, for $1750 or 337c/kg.
Colins and Payten sold 12 steers, 323kg, for $1200 or 371c/kg.
Buchan Black Creek sold 14 steers, 515kg, for $1800 or 349c/kg.
R and N Russell sold eight steers, 355kg, for $1380 or 388c/kg.
In the heifers, Shaw Pastoral sold 14 heifers, 360kg, for $1260 or 350c/kg.
Finchley Pastoral sold nine heifers, 326kg, for $1120 or 342c/kg.