Lively bidding and good prices highlighted the start of the January section of the Victorian weaner cattle selling program on Friday, in a 3800-head yarding at Wodonga, Victoria.
Weaner cattle sold to a top steer price of $722, amid strong bidding.
The steers sold at prices fully firm on those at the earlier Victorian summer weaner sales, in December.
Heifers, forced up by the keen competition, were even dearer.
The sale drew an enormous crowd of onlookers, along with a vibrant team of commission buyers holding a large array of northern-placed interstate orders.
The strong Wodonga weaner prices are equivalent to a lift of 12 points above the last declared EYCI of 336.50c/kg, on December 22.
A modest selection of grown steers at the start of the sale met solid inquiry.
These made $615 to $810 a head, realising 155-195c/kg.
Top price for these, a yard of 33 Angus, 20 months and weighing 468kg, came from JT, TA & R Moyle of Tallangatta, Vic.
The best Hereford sale was a line of 80 cattle, pure Ironbark blood, aged 16-18 months that made to $805 for Tony and Barry Murray, Jingellic, Vic, and averaged $770/head.
An outstanding display to start the weaner section saw the previously strong northern inquiry intensify further.
Pressed by bidding from Vic's northeast valleys, the northern orders swept up a large percentage of the lead and second-run drafts.
Consignment made $580 to $722/head for well-bred drafts weighing upwards of 280kg, to 392kg for the heaviest.
Topping the steer weaner sales was John Adams of Staghorn Flat, Vic, with his line of 105 Angus that sold to $722, which averaged $683.
Heavier weaner steers realised 180-209c/kg, av 194c/kg l/w. Lighter weaner steers mostly made $500-$585/head or 200-216c/kg.
A mixed selection of yearling-off and weaner heifers, however, met a much broader inquiry with local and interstate backgrounders and feeders bidding against each other more consistently.
Heavier weights of heifers made $500 to $666 at 155-176c/kg while lighter heifers made $415 to $475 or 165-190c/kg.
For the statistically minded, the yarding of heavier weaner steers - weighing 280 to 360kg - averaged 322kg, $623/head and 194c/kg l/w.
Successful buyers came from:
• Warwick in Qld;
• Walcha, Coonamble, Gunnedah, Barraba, Forbes, Grenfell, Lake Cargelligo, Bathurst, Moruya, Wagga in NSW;
• Queanbeyan in ACT and
• Corryong, Myrtleford, Wangaratta and Macarthur in Victoria.
Friday's sale was conducted by Albury-Wodonga private agencies Brian Unthank-Rodwells, Paull & Scollard, Peter Ruaro and Pat Kindellan.
* Stock & Land, Vic, will publish a full Wodonga report with pictures on January 8.
In the same issue, there'll be reports of the ongoing weaner sales series in the week starting January 5:
• The Birregurra series at Colac.
• The opening two days of the Western District calf sales, Hamilton.
• A feature report on the F1 Warrnambool heifer sale, also held on Friday.
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