South Gippsland cattle buyers made up a bulk of the buying gallery at the fortnightly store sale at Bairnsdale on Friday as prices continued to ease.
Agents yarded about 1400 steers and heifers at the East Gippsland Livestock Exchange where prices failed to rally on the back of recent spring rainfall.
Several key buyers pointed to the uncertainty around El Nino and a backlog of cattle in abattoirs as factors for the decline in prices.
This is despite South Gippsland, where a majority of cattle sold at Bairnsdale usually end up, experiencing one of its best springs in the last decade.
Southern agents from Elders Leongatha and Korumburra, Nutrien South Gippsland Livestock and SEJ LKD were all active in the opening lanes of the sale.
The sale started with a pen of nine Hereford steers consigned by K Davies, 534 kilograms, which made $1180 a head or 220 cents a kilogram and was bought by Riviera Farms.
Bill Wyndham & Co livestock manager Colin Jones said older cattle were harder to sell.
"I'm talking about the two-year-old and plus cattle and according to bullock fatteners, they are having trouble getting cattle killed because of a lack of space at abattoirs," he said.
"Consequently, when they can't get kill space, they're reluctant to buy at a store market because you can only run so many cattle."
Mr Jones said cattle prices across generally eased, except for cows with calves at foot.
C Sargood sold 14 steers, 588kg, for $1210 or 205c/kg to Eddy Hams, Nutrien SGL.
I Crooke sold a large consignment of black cattle, including 11 Angus steers, 469kg, for $1070 or 228c/kg to Rohan McRae, Elders Leongatha and Korumburra.
The same agency went on to buy the following two pens offered by Pinora Farms, Heyfield, including 12 Angus steers, 461kg, for $1140 or 247c/kg and 12 steers, 430kg, for $1060 or 246c/kg.
Pinora Farms sold 10 heifers, 395kg, for $860 or 217c/kg and eight heifers, 354kg for $690 or 194c/kg.
South Gippsland agency SEJ LKD bought 14 Angus steers, 418kg, consigned by I Crooke for $820 or 196c/kg.
The same vendor sold 15 steers, 382kg, for $860 or 225c/kg to Billy Trinder, Nutrien East Gippsland Livestock, and 19 steers, 384kg, for $770 or 200c/kg to Mr McRae.
Shaw's Butchers, Stratford, bought 52 steers including nine steers consigned by Melrose Herefords, 325kg, for $710 or 218c/kg.
Shaw's also bought two Angus pens consigned by KP Hurley, Woodglen, which included 20 steers, 408kg, for $1180 or 289c/kg and 20 steers, 370kg, for $1010 or 272c/kg.
Mack and Robyn Stagg, Tambo Crossing, sold nine Angus steers, 357kg, for $700 or 196c/kg and 10 steers, 312kg, for $570 or 182c/kg.
D & L Cameron sold 15 steers, 382kg, for $800 or 209c/kg and 19 steers, 327kg, for $600 or 183c/kg.
Livingston Partnership sold 14 steers, 317kg, for $610 or 192c/kg to a bullock fattener at Wy Yung.
Connally and Whelan, Kalimna West, sold 10 Angus steers, 467kg, for $970 or 207c/kg.
Vileza Produce sold 12 steers, 406kg, for $850 or 209c/kg to Brad Obst, Nutrien EGL.
Brookville Angus sold seven steers, 285kg, for $520 or 182c/kg and 19 steers, 220kg, for $460 or 209c/kg.
In the heifers, Greg Trewin sold 16 Angus, 442kg, for $960 or 217c/kg and 13 heifers, 441kg, for $990 or 224c/kg.
TJ & HJ Lee sold 10 heifers, 290kg, for $490 or 168c/kg and 10 heifers, 249c/kg, for $490 or 196c/kg.
Livingston Partnership sold 17 heifers for $500.
Buchan Station, Buchan, sold 11 Angus mixed-aged cows with steers calves at foot, two to three months, for $1260 and eight cows with heifers calves at foot for $1220.