Cattle prices were up at the Leongatha store sale on Friday as a strong attendance from feedlotters and backgrounders drove up demand.
There was keen bidding for some quality feature runs of Angus and Hereford cattle, with just under 4000 yarded.
Phelan & Henderson & Co auctioneer Simon Henderson said some cattle were up $150 on recent prices.
"All in all, it was a dearer market," he said.
"Some cattle would be $100 dearer, some cattle might be a little bit less than $100 dearer and some might be up to $150 dearer, depending on their weight.
"It was a very good quality yarding with some feature lines of pure Angus steers, from weaners through to heavy feeder steers."
Mr Henderson said some quality Angus weaners hit and exceeded the 400 cents a kilogram mark.
"We saw weaners again make in excess of 400c/kg for the best Angus calves that were 320-330 kilograms," he said.
He said heavier steers, 400-500kg, and above sold for around 330c/kg.
"Some were going back to the paddock but there was an extra feedlotter back here buying cattle today that we hadn't seen for a long time which was a positive result for the market," he said.
"We know that when the feedlotters are buying, they've already got the meat sold.
"There's demand at the other end and I think we're all just expecting prices to pick up a little bit when we get an autumn break."
Peter and Joanne Boddy, Woodside, sold nearly 300 Angus steers, 205-329kg.
Their pens included 25, 329kg, Angus steers for 416c/kg or $1370 a head, 25, 323kg, Angus steers for 402c/kg or $1300, 20, 290kg, Angus steers for 414c/kg or $1200 and 23, 281kg, Angus steers for 377c/kg or $1060.
Travis Cuff, Moyarra, sold 13, 435kg, Hereford steers for 313c/kg or $1360 to Melbourne-based commission buyer Cambell Ross.
Mr Ross bought multiple pens of heavy cattle including 10, 602kg, Angus steers for 299c/kg or $1800 and 12, 613kg, Angus steers for 315c/kg or $1930.
The first of these two pens was sold by Peter Moran, Foster North and the second by Ben Lowndes, Caldermeade.
Several pens of heavy cattle broke well over $2000.
Peter Kyle, Bena, sold 14, 645kg, Angus steers for 338c/kg or $2180 and 16, 639kg, Angus steers for 341c/kg or $2180.
R McCulloch, Churchill, sold 17, 737kg, Angus steers for 309c/k or $2280 and 11, 671kg, Angus steers for 320c/kg or $2150.
Joe Terranova, Mirboo North, sold more than 100 high-quality East Gippsland bred steers.
These included 20, 565kg, Angus steers for 312c/kg or $1760 and 22, 567kg Angus steers for 300c/kg or $1700.
The second of these pens was bought by Mr Ross.
Ian and Rochelle Hengstberger, Dumbalk North, sold 22, 475kg, Angus steers for 333c/kg or $1580 and 21, 437kg, Angus steers for 330c/kg or $1440.
Nutrien South Gippsland auctioneer Brian McCormack there was an "exceptional" run of cattle yarded at the sale.
"We had an exceptional run of steers, weighted steers, feeder cattle and heavier from 400kg out to 730kg, our heaviest pen today," he said.
"We had a beautiful lineup of cattle and when you put cattle up like that, that brings buyers and confidence in.
"The feedlotters were pretty strong today and a couple of grass fatteners as well who took a look at a lot of our cattle.
"But look, there was a lot of backgrounding feeder competition today which was very, very good."
Mr McCormack said the cattle bought at Leongatha were heading "mainly" to northern and north-west Victoria.
He said the northern and feedlotter competition came off the back of the sale having the "right cattle" and a lot of them.
"You can't just have a pen or two here and there, you have to have a run of cattle and line them up so buyers can come with confidence that they're going to get loads of cattle," he said.
SEJ Livestock and Real Estate Leongatha agent Neil Park said the market was "pretty strong", especially for the "better bred runs of cattle".
"There was a fair bit of competition from the feedlot buyers for those renowned lines of cattle," he said.
"The jobs held up."
Mr Henderson said improved prices for fat cattle left buyers with more budget for stores.
"I think there's not a lot of store cattle around like there has been in the previous few years," he said.
"We might have seen the big numbers go through."
