Mountain Calf Sales feature 7000 cattle at Omeo, Benambra, Ensay

The 83^rd annual event included four sales at Omeo, Ensay and Benambra run by Elders, and a fifth sale at Hinnomunjie organised by Sharp Fullgrabe/Nutrien East Gippsland Livestock.

The five sales featured 7782 cattle, 449 more cattle compared to the 2022 sales series.

The Omeo Angus sale last Tuesday was the highest-grossing and largest sale, which offered 2542 weaner calves with a profit of $3.05 million.

The Herefords took the credit for the high-averaging breed with the Omeo sale attracting a steer average of $1519, and a heifer average of $1464, despite having 1282 fewer cattle.

The Ensay sale - which featured 1105 Hereford and Hereford/Shorthorn-cross cattle - also ranked highly with a steer average of $1436 and a heifer average of $1291, and a total gross of $1.53 million.

In comparison with 2022, the Omeo Angus sale grossed $5.64 million with a steer average of $2210, while the Omeo Hereford sale grossed $3.31 million with a steer average of $2343.

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Elders Omeo livestock manager David Hill said the fluctuation in prices between the breeds related to a variance in weight between the black and Hereford sales.

"There were 1000 black steers at Omeo between 220-240 kilograms, many of them were only spring-drop calves too," he said.

"That was in contrast with the averages of the Hereford cattle, a majority which weighed 360-400kg, and were 10 to 12 months."

Mr Hill said the sales were underpinned by return buyers from across Victoria, and NSW, with many purchasers having bought the same lines of cattle for several years.

"Most of the heifers went into grass or breeding programs, and a smaller portion went into feedlots," he said.

"Prices reflected what's happening with the beef job at the moment, and given we have long, tough winters here, our graziers wouldn't be able to carry surplus cattle through the winter."