HEAVY Angus weaner steers struggled at $1.75/kg at Yea today.

The Elders Blue Ribbon feature weaner sale attracted a yarding of 2600 steers and heifers, including nearly 600 Charolais cross.

The tops of the Angus, a pen 12 steers at an indicative 394kg sold for $665.But as in these previous sales it was the Charolais offering which attracted most of the attention.

The best of Charolais cross steers, a pen of Harold Seeley's 19 Charolais-Red Angus, March-April drop at an estimated curfew weight of 375kg sold for $740 or $1.96/kg.Most of the offering was of an early-Autumn and good to prime condition.

Elders Yea manager Bruce Elliott conceded "heavy going' in the first row of Angus steers, but was likewise pleased with the overall result of the sale particularly for the medium to lighterweight cattle.

Dugald Drysdale's Boxhill Pastoral's 12 Angus February-March drop from Yea topped the Angus steers at $665, although his son John Drysdale from Yarck was also to the fore with an offering of 166 February-March drop Angus steers.John Drysdale was disappointed with the $640 for a pen of 20 364kg steers but was more than satisfied with the $495 for his lightest pen at 246kg.It was a trend of better money for the lighter cattle throughout the sale.

Mr Drysdale estimated his prices were down $80 on last year.

Pakenham Elders manager Carlo Taranto who bought 270 steers and heifers for west Gippsland clients said it was sale where there were of plenty people wanting to spend $500 instead of $600 for a steer which might only make $800 in the export market.

Most of the heavy Angus went to west and central Gippsland.Yea, Alexandra and Mansfield buyers were prominent on the middle weight 300kg Angus, paying $1.85/kgAngus weaner heifers sold from $380 to a top of $480, consistentlly around $1.50/kg.

The Charolais offering, destined for early finishing for the domestic market attracted strong competition from Gippsland.Robert Findlay from Leongatha was the major buyer of 80 Charolias cross steers, including the heaviest pen 465kg pen at $730.

Mr Findlay said he would be turning these cattle onto grass before finishing on grain to carcass weights of 300kg.And while backgrounders and processors were active on the heifers, there was demand from breeders. Tony Davies from Arthurs Creek who had no hesitation in paying $705 for Harold Seeley's pen of 22 370kg Charolais-Red Angus heifers.

"They were the best pen of the sale," said Mr Davies who would be joining them to an Angus bull.