Prices for lighter cattle was the main feature of Friday's July store cattle sale at the South West Livestock Exchange at Warrnambool.
There was a good field of buyers at the physical sale as well online support through StockLive.
A yarding of 1000 cattle attracted strong competition with lighter steers reaching 426 cents a kilogram.
The open auction steers sold mainly from $1100 to $1390 with the top of 569c/kg.
Heifers selling from 370c/kg to 388c/kg with open auction selling from $900 to $1170.
The yarding of cross bred steers made between 350c and 378c/kg while the open aution cross breds and Friesian steers sold from $610 to $1100.
Warrnambool stock agents association president Anthony Mahony said it was decided that all people attending the sale needed to wear a mask.
He said the sale was a "very strong" sale with good heavy steers making nearly 430 cents a kilogram but generally 390c to 425c/kg.
Mr Mahony said once on the lighter steers, around 270 to 300kg made to a top of 569c/kg and generally from 480c to 500c/kg.
Heifers "ticked along" with a top of around 390c/kg, but lighter and younger heifers were dearer.
"It was difficult to buy heifers under $1000 for a while," he said.
There was strong competition locally as well as online through StockLive, he said.
"They bought a number of cattle but were also losing bidder on a lot as well," he said.
StockLive's online bidding platform was active, with 15 registered buyers bidding on 40 per cent of the lots on offer.
JJ Kelly principal Jack Kelly said the "job is good".
"It wasn't a huge yarding, but plenty of buyers and demand here. At the fat sale Wednesday prices were strong for all classes of cattle," he said.
"Numbers are also down everywhere in the fat sales and there would be plenty of local competition," he said.
He said it had been mild and some rain next week would be great. We are six weeks past the shortest day, and that makes a huge difference.
A lot of young cattle have gone already, he said.
"If people want them they are just going to have to pay for them," he said.
Dalvui sold a pen seven steers, 513kg that sold for 380c/kg or $1949 and a second pen of seven, 460kg, that also made 380c/kg, or $1748.
A pen of nine steers, 393kg, account Yannarie sold for $1595 or 407c/kg.
B & R Askew sold a pen of seven steers, 360kg, that made 418c/kg or $1504.
On a liveweight basis two lines made to 426c/kg. One was a pen of 17 account A & R Beard, 319kg, at 426c or $1358.
The second line was a pen of 11 sold account Triple R Vic that weighed 312kg and came out at $1329.
The heaviest steers in the yarding was a pen of 15, weighing 533kg that made 345c/kg, or $1838, sold account Willow Ponds.
Eight steers sold account Carlins, 348kg, sold for 424c/kg or $1475. The heifer portion of these comprised a pen of six, 408kg, that made 380c/kg or $1550.
A line of 16 steers account M A Mills, weighed 322kg, and sold for 424c/kg or $1365. The same vendor had seven steers in open auction that made $1300.
Selling account Dura was a pen of nine, 412kg that made 391c/kg or $1610 and a second pen of 13, at 365kg, that sold for 400c/kg, or $1460. Heifers sold account Dura sold for 388c/kg or $11373 for 10 weighing 354kg.
Elandery Lodge sold mixed sex Angus with 19 steers, 425kg, selling for 412c/kg or $1751. The 18 heifers, 382kg, sold for 382c/kg or $1459.
A pen of 10 Poll Hereford steers, 375kg, sold account Jacoz Poll Herefords, sold for 410c/kg or $1537.
Two lines of open auction steers sold account Emu with one pen making $1350 and a second making $1290.
A pen of 42 steers, 275kg, sold account LE Earthmovers, sold for $1390 or 505c/kg.
Kilmorley South sold six steers, 290kg, for $1330 or 458c/kg, while Hay & Wercheron had a pen of 15 steers, 286kg that made $1300 or 454c/kg.
Heaviest of the heifer yarding was a pen of 18 sold account Bass Straight that weighed 549kg and made 346c/kg or $1899. A second pen from the same vendor comprised 17 that weighed 515kg, and made 358c/kg or $1854.
A line of 11 heifers account Ladrow, 365kg, made 388c/kg or $1416.
Brookside sold 14 heifers, 366kg, that made 378c/kg or $1383.
