Roland Cameron sold 331 Angus steers at Hamilton, read why he's optimistic for 2024

The Penshurst grazier, who farms with his wife Susan and trades as Athlone South, recorded an average of 334 cents a kilogram or $1134 for his consignment of 9-10-month-old steers.

The draft had an average weight of 340kg and featured Lawson, Pathfinder and Chiltern Park bloodlines.

"In October, I thought the expectation was between $800-$1000 a head for a return, but it ended up being upwards of $1100," Mr Cameron, a former police detective, said.

The Camerons were among the largest vendors at the Hamilton Regional Livestock Exchange.

Their sale included one pen of 99 Angus steers, 366kg, which made 366c/kg or $1128 and 94 steers, 347kg, which sold for 334c/kg or $1158.

The two top pens were bought by a repeat backgrounding client from NSW.

"It gives you confidence as far as covering off on your inputs for the next 12 months," Mr Cameron said.

"Fertliser, fuel and any of our costs seem to have risen.

"Something simple like a pair of farm boots were $100 last year and now they're $155, so everything is going up."

The Athlone South cattle weighed between 289-366kg on average and were weaned in early-December, three to five weeks before the sale.

Mr Cameron said "getting the weaning right" each year was key to Athlone South's success.

"I've found there's been a loyalty from people buying because they know when they get the cattle home, they settle down onto feed and that means ease of management for everyone," he said.

"We breed them to sell them.

"I have a system in place now where I wean early and get them settled."

Mr Cameron said he offloaded more cattle than usual as far back as October and November, largely due to the advice of the Bureau of Meteorology which warned about an El Nino and generally drier conditions.

This included selling dry cows after pregnancy testing and selling heifers via export orders.

The operation is supported by locals Colin Torney and Ron Watson who provide regular assistance on the farm, along with J & J Kelly agent Tony Graham.

"The season is everything and like most people, I planned on a long, dry period but the day before the sale we got 60 millimetres of rain," Mr Cameron, who runs 800 breeding females, said.

The heavy rainfall caused some trouble for B-double operators who found it challenging to access the wet property the day before the sale.

"I had to use a tractor to pull the truck out and that's never happened before in January," Mr Cameron said.

"It's still green now in the middle of January so it's hard to fathom."

Mr Cameron said he hoped the cattle industry would stablise in the coming months after "somewhat of a recovery" from the peaks and troughs of 2023.

"None of us understood the swift drop off last year and really my concern was more for the people that commited to buying and were faced with so much uncertainty," he said.

"I think that was very disappointing.

"People were struggling to get back what they gave and when that dynamic happens, it's unhealthy for everyone in the cattle industry."