WEANER cattle sold at seasonal high rates at last week's mountain calf sales.
In the first of the sales at Omeo featuring Angus and black baldy steers and heifers, nothing sold for less than 200c/kg.
Prices for comparable Hereford weights were within 5c/kg of the Angus rates for both steers and heifers.
The three days of sales were destined to attract near-record prices, not only because of a general shortage of cattle, but more because of one of the best starts to autumn in eastern Australia for a number of years.
But ironically it was the extremes of the season - a tough winter and plentiful late summer - that affected cattle numbers.
Elders, conducting its 70th annual sales at Omeo, Benambra and Ensay, could only muster an offering of 7850 head, significantly down on the advertised 9500, and more than 1200 down on last year.
Sharp Fullgrabe's sale at Hinnomunjie was likewise affected with its yarding of only 800 head, 200 less than the advertised listing and 1100 down on last year.
David Hill, of Elders Omeo, said several successive bad winters had cut calving rates.
And adding to the yarding woes was the turnaround in the season, which encouraged many vendors to retain more steers and heifers than they had intended two months ago.
"I'm confident that if the seasons improve we will be able to once again yard more than 10,000 head," Mr Hill said.
The tough winter and early spring were also blamed for slightly lighter weights in the Angus cattle.
The heaviest of Angus steer weaners was estimated at 350kg.
The Herefords and Hereford-Shorthorn roans yarded at Omeo and Benambra fared slight better with their weights.
"You can put that down to their breeding," said Robert Lee, who sold Hereford-Shorthorn steers with an estimated average weight of 370kg for $750, or 202c/kg.
Graeme Osborne, a long-time buyer of steers at the mountain calf sales, said many breeders were suffering from the long-term effects of losing their high-country grazing licences.
"In the past the cattle would be up in the mountains over late spring and summer, which left plenty of paddock feed for winter," Mr Osborne said.
The Newcomen families of Ensay shared the top honours for the sale series.
Barry Newcomen sold 22 EU-accredited and weaned Hereford Shorthorn steers, with an estimated weight of 380kg, for $820.
His brother, Evan, received the same price for a similar line of 25 steers.
Reflecting the growing concern about cattle numbers, heifer prices were also at a high.
At Omeo's Hereford and Hereford-Shorthorn sale, the first lane of 300 heifers all sold to breeders.
Trafalgar vealer producer Rob Buckley paid the top price of $795, for a pen of roan weaner heifers.
Northern NSW restockers were once again the major buyers, although the 2600 head going north was well below expectations.
Freight advantages and an equally plentiful supply of grass gave Victorian buyers the edge. Steve Rennie, buying for Elders' Charlton Feedlot, was relatively quiet, accounting for less than 150 head.
Most of the heavier steers he would have been eyeing were bought by his Elders colleagues, Don Bowman, Andrew Talbot and Tony Arscott, for grass finishing in South Gippsland, Coonamble and Port Fairy.
They paid upwards of 200c/kg for Angus steers weighing 300-350kg, and 190c/kg-plus for the heavier Hereford steers.
