South Gippsland agents clean up at the November Yea store sale

Paul & Scollard Nutrien Ag Solutions livestock agent Dan Ivone, Myrtleford, was also very active on the steers, with other stock going to the Euroa area.

Commission buyer Duncan Brown, Albury, was the major buyer of feeder and background heifers.

Dean Jones, Seymour, and Gippsland also bought a significant amount of stock.

Agents yarded 1833 head of steers, heifers, cows and calves, slightly down on the advertised number of cattle.

Nutrien Delaney Livestock and Property auctioneer Anthony Delaney, Pakenham, said while the last fortnight's store sales remained strong, prices had dropped off '"a little bit", due to the rain.

"The prospect of a bit of nicer weather on the horizon, in the next fortnight, has instilled a bit more confidence and competition, back into the market," Mr Delaney said.

Any ground the market had lost - "which wasn't much" - had now been regained.

"Everything was dearer, right across the board, cows and calves were very strong, older steers about the same, with weaner steers $50-60 a head dearer and heifers could have been $100 a head more expensive."

He said all the leading South Gippsland agents were very active.

"It just goes to show the season they are about to have down there and they will start to shift a few cattle soon," he said.

"It's going to be one of the latest starts to spring, we have seen, there is a fair bit of appetite to get cattle on, now you can see on the horizon you are going to be selling them.

"It was a great yarding, for an 'in-between' sale, with the normal stores and the first of the weaner sales in three weeks time," he said.

The bulk of the yarding averaged between 350 and 450kg.

"Spring calves have been sold, autumn calves aren't ready, so there's just a few older 14-16-month-old steers and heifers to go."

Elders auctioneer Ryan Sargeant, Mansfield, the commission buyers were quiet, with J&F the main feedlot operating.

"We haven't had any other feedlots here for the last while," Mr Sargeant said.

"The Gippslanders probably have the ability to buy a few steers now, it's been pretty wet, down there the last two or three months and they probably missed out on that big proportion of rain the north and central areas in the last few weeks.

"They can start restocking, they have been offloading heavy feeders and bullocks, the last two to four weeks, and there is the opportunity now.

"There are not many sales between now and Christmas, so those guys probably want to take advantage of buying a few cattle to put on grass now."

Steers selling for $2700-2900 could be turned off as $3700-3800 bullocks in six months time, he said.

Mr Sargeant said it was good to see Mr Ivone back at Yea, as he hadn't been at the sale for a while.

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Don Howie, Mansfield, was one of several producers who put forward large drafts of steers and heifers.

He sent 156 steers and 20 heifers to the sale.

His first pen of 46 Kelly, Alpine and Jarobee-blood steers, 391kg, sold for $2460 or 629c/kg.

He said he turned off steers and heifers for the November sale, each year.

Prices were down a little, on last year, but he said that was probably due to the fact the cattle were 60 kg lighter.

"Unfortunately, you can't fatten them on water - there's no 'guts' in the grass," Mr Howie said.

A second pen of 40, 362kg, sold for $2320 or 640c/kg.

WT and MG Spencer, Avenel, sold 11 Connemara-blood steers, 526kg, for $2920 or 555c/kg.

Comti/Friday sold 10 steers, 534kg, for $2960 or 554c/kg.

ST and JA Flynn sold 18 steers, 484kg, for $2940 or 607c/kg.

Yencken Pastoral Company, Mansfield, sold 21 Riddelvue and Anvil-blood steers, 423kg, for $2660 or 628c/kg.

Kendi Park, Lancefield, sold 29 steers, 379kg, for $2350 or 620c/kg.

J and L Buckley, Goornang, sold 11 Campaspe Rocks-blood steers, 458kg, for $2590 or 565c/kg.

Kalooma Pastoral, Gobur, sold 16 Kanimbla-blood Hereford steers, 376kg, for $2280 or 606c/kg.

Seaspray Pastoral sold 20 steers, 415kg, for $2600 or 626c/kg.

Yarrihapini, Creightons Creek, sold 24 steers, 311kg, for $2320 or 745c/kg.

Looking Glass sold 11 Connemara-blood steers, 389kg, for $2380 or 611c/kg.

Villabrae Pastoral sold 15 Te Mania-blood steers, 336kg, for $2300 or 684c/kg.

S Stegley sold five steers, 255kg, for $1900 or 745c/kg.

M Biancon sold five steers, 256kg, for $1890 or 738c/kg.

Jaroma Stud sold 11 steers, 274kg, for $1750 or 638c/kg.

Yencken sold 15 Angus heifers, 434kg, for $2430 or 559c/kg; they also sold 16, 407kg, for $2400 or 589c/kg.

W and M Spencer sold 12 Angus heifers, 427kg, for $2390 or 559c/kg.

G and L Manson sold 10 Angus heifers, 408kg, for $2350 or 575c/kg.

J Layton sold seven Lawsons-blood heifers, 391kg, for $2740 or 700c/kg.

CP Ryan, Pyalong, sold 14 Adameluca-blood heifers, 410kg, for $2160 or 526c/kg.

Doogalook sold 13 heifers, 399kg, for $2210 or 553c/kg.

Pavloff Family Trust sold 19 Shorthorn heifers, 461kg, for $2500 or 542c/kg.

Colin Justice sold four Angus cows and calves for $4025.