QUALITY was the biggest determinant of prices paid at Wodonga's cattle sale today.
The offering of 2000 included some lines of well bred cattle, which met good competition from the small crowd.But away from these, the market was firm to cheaper as buyers were choosy.
Corcoran Parker agent David Meehan said the market had "stood up pretty well".
"The better end of all types of cattle sold well but like the prime sales, poorer quality is discounted," he said.
Much of the yarding was steers, a mix of older yearling lines and weaners.
The best money on a c/kg basis was paid for well bred weaners, which made 200c/kg and at times more for lighter and better bred calves.
But older steers were rated slightly cheaper, down by about $20 to make about the 170c-180/kg mark for the best lines.
Older steers sold to $755, paid for A Clarke's 22 Poll Herefords which weighed 426kg (177c/kg).
Lang Peterkin from Tallangatta, a noted bullock finisher, paid between $670-$720 for Angus steers weighing about 400kg and rated the market as firm.
Competition for weaner steers was strong for the best quality, pushing rates above 200c/kg.
J and M Doake sold 15 Angus, 308kg and weaned, for $640 (207c/kg) in one of the stand out sales.
But Ted Ryan, from Warrnambool, selling as part of the GRS Partnership, was pleased when his nine-month-old Hereford-Simmental weaners, 300kg, made $608 (203c/kg). The second pen of steers from the same vendor made $565 (262kg, 216c/kg).
Heifers from the same vendor made some of the best female money on the day, with one pen of 40, same age, making $515 (276kg, 186c/kg) and another 37 sellling for $475 (197c/kg).
The small offering of cows and calves topped at $1160 for a nice pen of Angus heifers, 2-1/2 years with calves to two months, sold by Mt Larkin, while joined heifers sold to $705 for ptic Angus in a sticky market for joiend females.
