Cattle prices were back at the Western Victoria Livestock Exchange store sale in Mortlake on Thursday.
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Nutrien auctioneer Greg Bright, Warrnambool, said mixed-quality cattle were back 40-50 cents a kilogram.
However, he said better cattle saw a smaller price drop, of 10-20c/kg, as there were less of them to bid on.
Mr Bright said a combination of dry conditions throughout February and a high number of cattle sales this week led to lower demand.
"It's been back on where it's been," he said.
"It's just the number of cattle and how dry it is.
"It was probably not the best-quality yarding either so it's just been a bit tougher than what we expected to be quite honest."
He said there were just "too many" sales at present for the season.
Agents yarded 3622 cattle at Mortlake with a few runs of quality Angus and Hereford lots mixed between lesser-quality animals.
Kevin Burke, Bessiebelle, sold mixed-sex cattle, including nine Angus steers, 312kg, for $724 a head or 232c/kg, six Angus steers, 257kg, for $617 or 240c/kg, and 17 mixed-breed steers, 231kg, for $573 or 248c/kg.
The last of these lots was bought by JJ Kelly, Heywood.
Mr Burke also sold 23 Angus heifers, 267kg, for $651 or 244c/kg.
The Carroll family, Minjah, sold mixed-sex cattle, including 19 Angus steers, 300kg, for $846 or 282c/kg, and 15 Angus heifers, 243kg, for $617 or 254c/kg.
Some quality Hereford pens were some of the best-priced at the Mortlake sale.
Ian and Rochelle Hengstberger, Leongatha, bought a number of Hereford cattle for their feedlot including 11 steers, 10 months, 338kg, for $960 or 284c/kg, 11 steers, 10 months, 287kg, for $763 or 266c/kg, and five steers, 12 months, 289kg, for $728 or 252c/kg.
The highest-priced of these lots was sold by Georgia Lillie, Kariah.
Barry Provan, Queens Cliff, sold five Angus steers, 397kg, for $1191 or 300c/kg.
Mr Provan's cattle were bought by Melbourne commission buyer Campbell Ross, who was one of the main buyers at the sale.
He also bought 11 Angus steers, 375kg, for $1069 or 285c/kg, 12 Charolais-cross Angus steers, 375kg, for $1080 or 288c/kg, 19 Angus steers, 16-18 months, 422kg, for $1245 or 295c/kg, and 10 Angus steers, 438kg, for $1279 or 292c/kg.
Mr Ross said he was buying for a number of northern Victoria and NSW feedlotters.
The Hunt family, Port Campbell, sold seven Speckle Park/Angus steers, nine months, 326kg, for $769 or 236c/kg.
Heywood bullock fattener John Peters bought nine Black Baldy steers, 12 months, 359kg, for $1149 or 320c/kg.
Alchorne Farms, Hawkesdale, sold several lots of mixed-sex cattle including nine Angus steers, 313kg, for $870 or 278c/kg, and 22 Angus heifers, 401kg, for $1163 or 290c/kg.
South Grampians Livestock and Real Estate auctioneer Dylan Praolini said some cattle were back 50c/kg and 60c/kg in parts of the sale on previous weeks.
"The very-well-beef-bred cattle sold probably very similarly, maybe 10c/kg cheaper," he said.
"A few of those bigger, heavier ones made good money.
"The quality of our cattle yarding today is probably not right up there.
"The cattle that are making good money are the good, well-bred, quality cattle.
"Whereas, then you come on that secondary stuff and that's where they're really struggling."
Charles Stewart & Nash McVilly auctioneer Clayton Horspole agreed with Mr Praolini's outlook.
Mr Horspole said prime cattle were "definitely cheap enough".
"With the seasonal conditions, we just haven't got the restockers going as hard but your good, feeder-weight cattle are still selling quite well," he said.
He said the best of the feeder steers at the sale made 325c/kg and the best of the feeder heifers close to 300c/kg.
"There's a bit of strength in the feeder job," he said.
He said buyers had been "100 per cent stretched" this week with Mountain Calf sales and others in competition.
"The season is dry, paddocks are pretty bare around Mortlake so [there were] definitely a few opportunities if you're game," he said.
Mr Horspole also said plain cattle were back 30-40c/kg on previous Mortlake sales.
"The odd one might have been cheaper than that but otherwise it's not back drastically," he said.
Cows with calves at foot and in-calf cows were also sold at Thursday's sale.
Summer Kelly, Nalangil, sold 10 Charolais/Angus cows with five-month-old calves at foot and back in calf again, for $1850.
Elaine Knowles, Woolsthorpe, sold five March-calving Red Angus cows for $1300.
Prices were mixed with some plain-quality cow lots struggling to make $1000.
