TRUCKING cattle to NSW was one of the lively topics at last week's mountain calf sales.

Buyers and agents were hoping that the trial of sending a convoy of seven B-double loads on the "back road" from Benambra to Corryong would eventually save time and money in trucking cattle into northern NSW.

Under VicRoads rules, conventional 25-metre B-double trucks are not allowed to travel from Mt Hotham to Harrietville.

Cattle being trucked to Wodonga or NSW normally have to travel down Mt Hotham in 19-metre double-deck trucks, which have two-thirds the capacity of the B-double.

Alternatively, B-doubles could travel down to Bairnsdale and then up the Princes Highway into NSW.

In last week's trial, VicRoads vehicles escorted the convoy front and back.

Transporters in the convoy, which had to leave Benambra at 7pm, also had to buy a permit at $150 a load.

But despite a successfully organised operation, trucking operators Gavin O'Sullivan and Dom Shanahan were not so optimistic with the trial.

Dom, who had one truck in the trial, said holding up a load until 7pm for the sake of forming a convoy could be time-wasting.

Dom said a B-double loaded for over-nighting at Wodonga via Corryong would have taken five hours plus the waiting time, whereas a double decker would take only three-and-a-half hours to Wodonga via Mt Hotham

Gavin, who had three trucks in the convoy, liked the concept but wondered why it couldn't be used for taking cattle down Mt Hotham.

Prices on a high

PRICES were definitely on a high in the hills last week, but compared with Eastern Young Cattle Indicator they certainly were not out of kilter.

Ten weeks ago, the weaner sales opened on a strong note at Hamilton, with 350kg Angus weaners selling for $600-$620 or about 175c/kg.

Lighter 300kg Angus sold from $550-$580 or 175-180c/kg.

At the time, the National Livestock Reporting Service had the EYCI on a pre-Christmas quote of 287c/kg going into the Hamilton sales.

Last week at Omeo, 350kg Angus and Hereford steer weaners sold from $720-$750 or 200-208c/kg to average 206c/kg.

Lighter 300kg Angus steers sold for $650 or 216c/kg.

In the cents a kilogram, the Omeo prices were about 35-40c/kg or 20 per cent higher than the Hamilton rates.

Last week, the Omeo sales began with the EYCI at 344c/kg, or exactly 20 per cent up since Hamilton.