Cattle sales were strong at the Northern Victoria Livestock Exchange's special store sale on Thursday, continuing a good run of sales at the Wodonga saleyards.
Agents yarded just around 2200 head of cattle in an auction which went much better than expected, according to Corcoran Parker auctioneer Bo Helwig.
"The sale went better than anticipated given markets [have] obviously softened a bit in previous weeks, but I'd say we were very much on par with the sale we held here a fortnight ago," Mr Helwig said.
Feedlotters picked the more heavier cattle, but Mr Helwig said there was a smaller amount of commission buyers.
"Various feedloters had continued to operate on the heavier end of the calves, anywhere from 300 kilograms and upwards," he said.
"[There were] not a lot of commission buyers there but just a number of various people buying cattle to head north.
"There's obviously a lot of local competition at the moment here as well, which there quite often is in the autumn."
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Mr Helwig said while there was a good rain front heading through the region on the day of the sale, there had been not been a significant rainfall to encourage a larger local crowd to the store sale, but Thursday's numbers were what was expected by agents.
"We've just had a few weather forecasts recently that have failed and even this Friday we have a front coming through too, which probably hasn't been the rain that we anticipated," he said.
"Obviously coming into winter without the rain will have quite a few people here in the north-east a bit nervous unfortunately."
Amy Taprell, Thologolong, was the pick of the day with a run of pens consistently getting over $2000 a head, with one lot of Angus steers with an average weight of 359kg, selling for 690 cents a kilogram or $2480, while another lot, 331kg, sold for 704c/kg or $2330.
Beetoomba Bison, Corryong, sold 18 European Union-accredited Angus steers, 305kg, for 705c/kg or $2150.
TR & JG McGrath, Tumbarumba, NSW, sold 33 Angus steers, 302kg, for 740c/kg or $2235.
Denis W Ryan, Gui Mauve, Benalla, sold 13 Angus pregnancy-tested-in-calf heifers, 703kg, for 432c/kg or $3040, while another pen of 22 PTIC Angus, 703kg, sold at the same price.
The Homelands Pastoral Company, Gundowring, sold eight Angus steers, 378kg, for 613c/kg or $2310.
CPA Packers, Harston, sold 12 Angus steers, 365kg, for 658c/kg or $2400.
P & F Weidner sold 26 Angus heifers, 389kg, for 578c/kg or $2250, and another pen of eight, 366kg, for 607c/kg or $2220.