LIGHTER cattle were the best sellers at Yea store cattle sale in North East Victoria today. 

While the best of last year's spring-drop Angus weaners sold to $700, and averaged $1.85-$2/kg, it was the lighter steers and heifers attracted the most attention in a total yarding of nearly 1000 head.

Driving the push for the lighter cattle was commission buyer Will Standfield who buys lightweight heifers for the NSW domestic processor Ramsay Meats at Casino.

Because Yea has no weighing facilities buyers have to do a bit of guessing, which in most cases works to the advantage of the the sellers. It wasn't the case today.

One who experienced the vagaries of the guessing market was breeder and vendor John Elsey, from Molesworth, who penned nearly 100 steers and heifers.

His heaviest pen of nine Angus 18-month-old steers, 420kg plus, sold for $710 or $1.40 while the best of his 14-month-old Angus weaners with an estimated weight of 380kg sold for $700 or $1.85/kg.

But in the heifer pens, the best of his 14-month heifers sold $530 or about $1.50/kg.

Marcus Ryan from Lancefield had two pens of Angus heifers which would have weighed less than 250kg.

The second draft of 13 sold for $388 or $20 more than the first or heavier heifers. Their steer brothers sold to a top of $585.

Prices at Yea were on a par with its previous monthly sale, but under the rates of Wodonga yesterday and Euroa which followed the Yea sale.

Brendan Ryan from Pyalong was one vendor not complaining with the $695 for 15 September-October-drop Angus weaners. At an estimated weight of 370kg they would have sold for about $1.88kg.

Cows and calves at Yea, like through most of the Spring store sales, struggled to find buyers.

The feature offering were 65 Angus cows with two-month-old calves. These were part of herd dispersal for Edna Hart of Upper Plenty who has sold a Beveridge property.

The cows which were forward condition sold for $950, $860 and $815.  They were bought for restocking in the Kilmore area.

Mrs Hart said she disappointed not to receive at least $1000.

Among the more prominent bidders at Yea were commission buyers Damien Whyte and James Brown  and Bobinwarrah feedlotter Alan Conroy.

South Gippsland was also present but apart from one pen of steers knocked down to Damian Minogue of Rodwells Leongatha, very little went south.