Northern buyers led Euroa's end of financial year cattle sale today, where fierce competition for spring-drop weaners broke last month's prices by $200 a head.
The 3200-head yarding included a significant offering of 1700 head predominantly Angus weaners, which were chased the hardest by commission buyers Duncan Brown and Andrew Lowe, and Neil Darby of Alex Scott & Co, Gippsland.
Other notable buyers who led the gallery were Alan 'Boots' Conroy, Conroy Bros, Bobinawarrah, and commission buyer Graham Ward, buying on behalf of the Nutrien network, and Corcoran Parker's Henry Dundas, Wodonga.
Nutrien Ag Solutions, Euroa, Russell Mawson said the yarding was one of the best line-up of cattle the yards had penned.
"With the strong season across the board from a feed perspective, cattle have gone everywhere," Mr Mawson said.
Demand was solid on grown steers, which returned 600 to 650 cents a kilogram, while black weaner steers, from 250-380kg fell from 730-770c/kg, and surpassed 800c/kg for isolated pens.
Grown steers opened the sale, and topped at $2840, paid by Mr Brown, Albury, NSW, for seven Angus steers, offered by P & S Armstrong, equating to 533c/kg.
Adam and Kim Thomson, Blythe Airie, Strathbogie, offered 67 grown Angus steers, which av 378kg and returned $2453 a head for the entire draft, or 649c/kg.
Mr Brown's buyers' book balanced more than 650 head, and split between steers and heifers, mostly above 300kg for orders in northern and central NSW.
"The smaller the cattle, the dearer they got," he said.
"The quality is okay but condition is back."
Prices for Angus steers below 300kg were consistently knocked down at $2190-$2220, and worked out to be 750-800c/kg.
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The highest price paid for weaners was $2340, paid for 25 Angus steers, offered by Forlonge Park, which averaged 326kg.
Bingara, manager Geoff Penny, Ruffy, offered 100 Angus steers, 8-9 months-old, Lawson bloodlines, which hit a high of $2190, and av $2123, or 772c/kg, across the draft.
Bingara also sold 50 Angus heifers, av 245kg, that returned $1605, or 656c/kg.
Mr Penny said prices were solid for the lighter calves.
Marge and Peter Burns, Plover Plains, Oakland Junction, sold 44 Angus steers, 8-9mo, that av $2185, or 736c/kg, while their 51 Angus heifers av $1760, or 634c/kg.
Vendor Strath Hill, Strathbogie, sold 78 Angus steers, av 269kg, for $2050, or 762c/kg.
Jim Renkin, Lima, said there was "no doubt about it, these prices are very good," after selling 16 Angus steers, 384kg, to $2310.
Sleigh Pastoral, Ruffy, offered the first pen of Hereford weaners, which fetched $2110, and av $1980, or 673c/kg.
Joined cows peaked at $3900, paid for 13 pregnancy tested in calf Angus cows, offered by JH Wall & Sons, Lynfield.
Nutrien Delaney Livestock and Property auctioneer Anthony Delaney said the sale results were solid on a very even yarding of weaners.
"There was plenty of frame in the cattle which sold to fully firm, if not dearer on the steers," Mr Delaney said.
"Lighter heifers softened slightly as we see more people reatain more heifers than they would generally because theyre having a good seaons, so the cattle we are seeing is lighter than they typically would be.
"Every sale in the last few weeks heifers are becoming a little cheaper."