The demand for lighter conditioned cattle helped drive what's believed to be a new record for young heifers at the Roma cattle sale on Tuesday.
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A line of 454 Droughtmaster/Santa Gertrudis cross weaner heifers sent east from Brett and Jacque Green's Adavale property Hoomooloo sold to a top of 520 cents per kilogram, to a local Roma buyer.
According to MAA agent Duncan McLeod, they reached a top of $990 to average $739.
"The market has been strong for a while but there's usually more of a gap between steers and heifers," he said. "The Green's heifers made more than their brothers."
The young steers in the draft sold to 502.5c/kg.
Of the 5800 head for sale, the Green's cattle made up around 1100 head of the yarding.
Brett Green said they were the bottom end of his weaners and had been earmarked to go to their southern country around Cameron's Corner but it hadn't rained.
"They were the progeny of cattle that we traded and when it stayed dry we thought we may as well trade them on," he said. "Sometimes you just jag a win."
Mr McLeod said the price had been driven by a demand for light cattle that people could put away without costing themselves a lot of money.
Agents for two NSW buyers and one from Albury were operating as well as the usual buyers.
A pen of Wellesley Pastoral Co weaner steers sold by GDL Roma agent Nick Shorten sold to 536c/kg, a cent short of the yard record.
The six-month-old Euro cross cattle from the Surat region reached a top of $890 and were sold to a NSW buyer.
Mr Shorten said people were getting ready for summer and hoping the season would prevail.
"People have finished their musters and are taking advantage of the prices on offer," he said.
"It means some are selling six to eight months earlier than they would normally."