Grafton yarded 1150 head of store cattle on Thursday with prices firm after last month's rapid rise with heifers in calf to $3150.
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Steers 200 kilograms to 300kg, 247 head, averaged 635.4 cents a kilogram or $1603.45 (676.4c/kg or $1651.99 last month) to top at 785.2c/kg and $1989.96.
Heifers of the same weight, 173hd, averaged 595.3c/kg or $1421.05 (595.2c/kg or $1401.20 last month) to top at 770.2c/kg and $1792.38.
A most promising start to summer on the Northern Tablelands helped fuel the desire for buyers to bid. A frost at Glen Innes the morning of the sale reminded buyers that this season is running late, but a run of warm and sunny days has already kicked pasture into gear and with that some keen competition from near neighbours at Ebor and Hernani.
Read more: Cattle truck rolled in flood waters.
Read more: Wodonga cows to $4750.
Bruce and Wendy Fahey, Copmanhurst, sold milk and two-tooth Angus cross steers, 402.3 kilograms for 513.2 cents a kilogram or $2064.64 going to Tall Gums at Ebor.
Ramornie Station sold four tooth Angus cross 334kg for 512.2c/kg or $1710.75 going to Wilmot at Hernani.
Angus 245kg went to Ebor for 620.2c/kg or $1984.69 while Hernani took similar, 245kg, for 700.2c/kg or $1715.49.
"The soil is wet but we've had some warm days," said Wilmot manager Stuart Austin. "It's the best it's looked going into summer in the past three years."
Limousin cross steers from Kungala, 387.5kg, made 435.2c/kg or $1686.40.
Buyers took cattle into the wet west including Moree and Gunnedah while cows with calves went to Armidale.
Robbie Sutherland, Tullymorgan, sold Charolais cross weaner calves - so quiet they approached the council yardsman at the rails for a nuzzle - 198kg, for 776.2c/kg or $1536.88.
Frank Johnson, Bonville, sold Angus weaner steers 160kg for 865.2c/kg or $1384.32.
Lower Southgate bullock finisher Tim Ensbey came to the sale chasing weaner steer replacements, with rye grass sown after the record lower river flood still shooting away.
"We've got grass and it's not flooding so we might as well make the best of it while we got it," he said. "But we went home without any. "I was losing underbidder on a pen of Santa cross calves. The sale was strong enough."
Charolais over first cross weaner steers from Southern Sky Farms at Coombadjha, 224kg made 778.2c/kg or $1743.17, going to Peter Lake and Kim McKenna, PK Rural, Gilletts Ridge, who earlier sold Droughtmaster cross steers 492.5kg for 492.5c/kg or $2059.64.
Cows with calves sold liveweight reached a top price of $3100 for Angus while Santa Gertrudis cross cows with crossbred calves made $3000, going to Paul Tarrant, Southgate.
Brahman/Hereford cows with calves made $2950.
