HEIFERS were the stars of the week at Casterton’s annual weaners sales, as interstate buyers locked horns to take a stronghold at the local market.

With more than 2400 head yarded at Friday’s sale, many heifers sold above the prices attracted by steers earlier in the week, exceeding $2000/head for 10 and 11-month olds.

Nangana, Grassdale sold the top priced pen of 32 heifers, 407 kilograms, at 530 cents a kilogram or $2157/head, in a total offering of 170 Angus heifers.

Right behind them, a pen of 16 Angus heifers from Glenaulin attracted $2122/head or 560c/kg.

At Wednesday’s Hereford and Euro steer sale, more than 60 per cent of the yarding – around 760 of the 1200 head offered – was knocked down to two interstate buyers, one from New South Wales and one from South Australia.

Bill and Kathy Lambert, Taronga, Paschendale, secured the best-presented Herefords Australia pen with 22 heifers, 297kg, knocked down for 456c/kg or $1354.

Northern cattle buyers from New South Wales and Queensland were prominent from the first sale of the week.

Agents yarded just almost 2500 steers for the feature Angus sale, selling to a top of $1975 a head, failing to pass the $2000 mark recorded at Hamilton the day before.

The top-priced pen was bought by southern agent Terry Ginnane, Nutrien South Gippsland Livestock, Leongatha, for 500c/kg.

The pen of 48 steers was consigned by the O'Connell family, Tora Downs, Wando Vale, 395kg, and made $1975.

A quieter market indicated a greater number of weaned cattle in the yarding and at 270 to 320kg, those pens attracted 500 to 520c/kg.

The dearest pen on a cents a kilogram basis was sold by Wyandra and included 36 steers, 252kg, for 562c/kg or $1416.