There were 1561 good quality mostly black cattle yarded at the Wodonga store sale on Thursday, with steer prices firm on last sale, while the heifer job came off the boil.
Corcoran Parker livestock agent Bo Helwig said there were some great runs of black calves out of the Upper Murray offered this week.
"They copped it pretty hard in the fires in January, so it was a good reward for those guys who got their cattle through as well as they did," Mr Helwig said.
"They were getting $1300-$1500, it was a good result."
There were very few cows and calves on offer, but the tops made $2800 per unit. Offered by Gubbara Park, Ettamogah, they were Angus cows, seven years, with calves sired by a Black Simmental bull.
Account TP Holmes and EM Sadler, Benalla, Vic put up 20 Angus pregnancy-tested-in-calf heifers weighing an average of 545kg. They returned $2175 per head.
Mr Helwig said there was a good run of grown steers in the sale, which made in the vicinity of 385c/kg to 410c/kg depending on breed and colour.
PH and RF Creamer, Dederang, Vic sold 17 Charolais steers, 14 to 15 months, weighing ave 472kg for $1820.
MR and JM Hodgkin, Baranduda Vic sold 29 Angus cross steers, 14 to 16 months, 400kg, for $1640.
Mr Helwig said black calves, 340kg to 400kg, made from 430-440c/kg up to 460c/kg, while steers 250kg to 320kg made from 450c/kg to 490c/kg.
Ray Vinge, Berringama Vic offered 80 Angus steers, 10 months, with The Glen and Dunoon blood. He sold a pen of 24 weighing 415kg for $1700
David Land, Cudgewa Vic had 30 Angus steers, nine to ten months, with Llandarlo Angus blood in the sale. A pen of 13 weighing 350kg made $1520.
A Ross and M Spurgeon, Tooma offered 20 Angus steers weighing 353kg for $1540. A second pen of 31 weighing 315kg made $1500.
Heifer prices were back, feeder heifers weighing 350kg plus made around 380-390c/kg.
Mr Helwig said lighter heifers, 280kg to 340kg, made anywhere from 380c/kg to 410c/kg depending on the particular draft.
"There was still quite a few 300kg well-bred heifers making in excess of 400c/kg," he said.
Fairlea Farms, Tallangatta Valley sold 10 Angus cross heifers, 360kg, for $1410.
The Wilson family of Corowa offered 10 Murray Grey heifers, weighing 294kg, they made $1225.
Mr Helwig said with the border closure and tighter restrictions it was just the normal commission buyers and local agents operating.
"Pretty much all the cattle went local, there wasn't any southern or northern commission buyers there," he said.
"But we're only a month away from spring and we're set up for an exceptional season here.
"Everyone's very optimistic and there's a lot of blokes around us who haven't bought cattle that need to at some point."
The sale was conducted by Corcoran Parker, Brian Unthank Rural, Schubert Boers and Peter Ruaro.