Prices might be well back on the heady highs of the 2023 weaner sales but agents and vendors say values at the early southern weaner sales are exceeding or at least matching expectations.
Confidence remains high at the close of the first week of sales, with market showing plenty of resilience thanks to recent widespread rain across eastern Australia.
ACM Agri staff have been on the ground at the sales bringing you the latest updates, photos and reports from the yards.
Here's everything you need to know from the first week of selling.
Friday, January 5
Prices continued to be solid in Wodonga for the Premier All Breeds Feature Weaner Sale at the Northern Victoria Livestock Exchange on Friday. Across the quality yarding true weaner steers sold to a top of $1225 a head. Read the full report here.
Did you make it to Wodonga on Friday? Click here to see who we snapped.
Vendors who hedged their bets at November's Yea weaner sale have seen the risk pay off, as agents described Friday's weaner sale as "consistent" with plenty of northern buyers. Read the full report here.
In South Australia, there may have been a much smaller crowd for day two of the opening Naracoorte weaner sale for the year than day one, but heifer prices followed the same dearer trend to steers. Read the full report here.
Thursday, January 4
Sales really started to heat up on Thursday, with four sales in the one day.
At Wodonga's Hereford and Euro steers and heifers sale the market matched expectations, when true weaners sold to a top of $1285 a head. Read the full report here.
The new year brought about an upbeat gallery at the WVLX Mortlake saleyards for their first feature weaner sale of the season, where more than 5700 head were yarded. Read the full report here.
At Naracoorte's first weaner sale of the year prices easily surpassed pre-Christmas sales, with 3500 steers yarded at the sale. Read the full report here.
Back east at Wangaratta, about 1500 cattle were yarded on Thursday for the all breeds premier weaner sale where true weaner heifers sold to a top of $1190. Read the full report here.
Want to see some photos? Here's who we snapped at Wodonga on Thursday.
Wednesday, January 3
Colac agents say lighter cattle sold to much stronger competition, with local and northern buyers rallying at the annual Birregurra Premier Weaner Sale, where heavy cattle made between $1050-$1100. Read the full report here.
The high quality reputation of cattle continued in Wodonga with the Premier Angus Feature Weaner Sale on Wednesday, where 3239 cattle were yarded. Read the full report here.
Take a look at who we snapped during the second day of the annual Wodonga weaner sales. Click here to see photos from the sale.
Tuesday, January 2
The first of two Wangaratta weaner sales saw 4900 head yarded with good to excellent quality cattle throughout both its first and second run of steers. Read the full report here.
Big crowds attended the first Wangaratta feature sale. Click here to see photos from the day.
The 2024 cattle market was off to a promising start after a solid first day of the Wodonga weaner sales with the Premier Angus Feature Weaner Sale on Tuesday where a total of 5156 cattle were yarded at the Northern Victoria Livestock Exchange. Read the full report here.
And who was at the opening sales at Wodonga on Tuesday? Click here to see photos from the day.
