South Gippsland restockers were prominent at Heyfield's annual store sale on Friday as heifers attracted strong interest from breeders and grass fatteners.
Agents yarded about 1450 cattle with the top pen of Angus steers selling for $1920.
Nutrien Ag Solutions East Gippsland livestock manager Brad Obst said heifers were the feature of the sale.
"The heifer section was particularly strong, mainly on the bigger heifers, with breeders and feedlotters fighting it out," Mr Obst said.
"On the smaller heifers the breeders and grass fatteners were very prominent. "
According to Meat & Livestock Australia, the sale featured 350 less cattle year-on-year.
However, Mr Obst credited vendors for their "well presented cattle" despite the ordinary season.
"Given they were brought into some very tough seasonal conditions, with some relief more recently, the cattle presented really well," Mr Obst said.
"The Heyfield sale has always had a very strong Angus influence and this year there was a few Angus dairy-cross cattle in it but both the autumn and spring sales are noted for the good quality.
"If you took the few cross-bred cattle out it would make numbers very similar to last spring so the yarding was slightly bigger this year."
Nutrien Delaney Livestock and Property auctioneer Anthony Delaney sold 650 of the cattle on offer.
"We had a very good, local yarding which sold to strong competition from south, east and central Gippsland," Mr Delaney said.
"We also had a small run of older steers which may have been tougher on previous local sales, however, our run of heifers and calves were very strong."
The top pen of Angus steers was sold by Graeme and Joy Stuckey, Leawood Angus, Flynn, 561kg, for $1920 or 342 cents a kilogram..
Pinora Angus, Seaton, sold six Angus steers, 512kg, for $1700 or 332c/kg.
The top pen of 21 Angus weaner steers by Gerarld Feely, Willung, 416kg, sold for $1620 or 389c/kg.
Michael and Mary Higgins, Glenmaggie, sold 38 Angus steer calves including a pen of 19, 331kg, for $1470 or 444c/kg.
Wayne Missen, Kilmany, sold 12 Charolais-cross steers, 425kg, for $1500 or 352c/kg.
Heifers pick of the autumn sale
In the heifer section, Pinora Angus, Seaton, sold 16 Angus heifers, 415kg, for $1440 or or 274c/kg.
The second pen of 16 heifers, 397kg, made $1450 365c/kg.
Gerald Feely, Willung, sold 18 Angus heifers, 437kg, for $1540 or 352c/kg.
Hookey Pastoral Company, Cowwarr, sold 21 Angus heifers, 313kg, for $1310 or 418c/kg.
Michael and Mary Higgins, Glenmaggie, sold 23 Angus heifers, 301kg, for $1250 or 415c/kg.
In the cows and calves section, AE King, Glengarry, sold 14 Angus cows with calves at foot for $2500.
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