The best-performing Victorian saleyards after the 2024 weaner sales

Twenty-one sales across nine selling facilities from Casterton in the west to Wodonga in the north-east grossed an eye-watering $57 million in sales, with livestock data revealing the best performing saleyards.

Euroa recorded the highest average on a cents a kilogram basis for 950 steers sold in its 1217-head sale at 332c/kg, followed by Hamilton which sold 9189 steers to an average price of 328c/kg.

On price a head, Hamilton steers averaged $1116 followed by Wangaratta where steers averaged $1107 and Wodonga at $1106.

The two major western district saleyards recorded the best averages in the heifers with Casterton on top of the leaderboard at an average 319c/kg for heifers and Hamilton at 316c/kg, Outcross data revealed.

Heifers were considerably cheaper a week earlier with sales at Wangaratta (261c/kg) and Wodonga (263c/kg) as well as at Mortlake where heifers averaged 261c/kg and Euroa at 277c/kg.

Nutrien Savin Livestock Marketing managing director Sam Savin, Hamilton, said vendors' expectations were "well and truly met".

"Two months ago, good feeder steers were making 200-240c/kg and then we got a general rain throughout Victoria and in the north, El Nino was scared away, and confidence was created again," he said.

"For steers to be making above 300c/kg when only two months ago we thought steers might have been around mid-200c/kg and heifers under 200c/kg, it's quite the dramatic turn around in six-to-eight weeks.

"Rain grows grass and grass grows confidence."

Western district heifer sales were largely underpinned by South Australian buyers, while Gippsland restockers and major feedlots Thomas Food International and Princess Royal bought a bulk of the steers.

Fewer cattle went to northern NSW and Queensland from Hamilton and Casterton with Mr Savin indicating the cost of freight would leave a "big bill to get cattle north".

"Freight is a massive cost now which is $7-$8 a kilometre and in the last two years, it has risen by $1-$2 per animal so if northern buyers do need them, they'll source them locally," he said.

The NVLX at Wodonga recorded the largest throughput across five sales with 14,580 cattle and the highest gross at $14.83 million followed by Hamilton at $14.1 million across five sales with 13,200 cattle.

While SA and Victorian buyers along with the odd NSW buyer underpinned the western sales, Elders territory sales manager for Albury and Wangaratta Oliver Mason said northern buyers were the "biggest support in the north-east".

"Historically, we always rely on northern competition for our sales," he said.

"We saw a premium of $100-$150 for weaned cattle with feedlotters buying mainly weaned cattle for their orders.

"A lot of the lighter cattle went into backgrounding operations in the north."

South-west Victorian graziers Mick and Jacinta Coffey, Coffey Partnership, Port Fairy, said rain in the right times had given cattle buyers a shot of confidence.

The pair sold 110 Angus steers, 9-10 months, with an average weight of 383c/kg and an average price of 350c/kg or $1340, well above the standard set at Hamilton.

"There was a lack of confidence in the industry but rain is the biggest confidence booster that all farmers need at times and we've had rain in the right places," Mr Coffey said.

"Most of our steers went to return buyers, but our heifers went to a first-time breeder who is starting an Angus herd early in her career."

Despite rain in Gippsland and parts of northern Victoria, NSW and Queensland, Mr Coffey said parts of the south-west had not received more than an inch - or 25 millimetres - in one rain event since winter.

"We're in a coastal strip between Port Fairy and Codrington and we've missed out on a lot of rain dating back to spring," he said.

"Our biggest fall has been 17mm and that was around Christmas, but we're just relieved the people who buy our cattle had rain at the right time."