Prices for 2021-drop weaner cattle rose by as much as $800 a head compared to the same sale 12 months ago at Wangaratta on Wednesday, agents said, as northern orders underpinned the feature market. Agents yarded about 3650 cattle at the annual sale in a day where more than 9000 cattle were sold across north eastern Victoria, including more than 4500 weaner calves at Wodonga earlier in the morning. Backgrounding orders carried out by several major buyers meant a large portion of the yarding was destined for northern NSW, as very few pens of cattle were bought by local graziers in the north-east. A severe weather warning and heavy rain throughout the sale also provided a stark contrast to the same sale in 2021 where buyers and vendors were greeted with sweltering conditions. Corcoran Parker director Kevin Corcoran said vendors were rewarded for their decision to send cattle into the sale with high prices, two years after the sale returned to the Wangaratta Livestock Exchange. "A majority of the calves were weaned and all the people, not only our clients but clients of Elders, put a lot of effort into that process so people can come here with confidence and buy them so it's a credit to those vendors," he said. "We had plenty of cattle selling for 700 cents a kilogram and beyond 800c/kg for the lighter cattle." RELATED READING: Mr Corcoran said a large contingent of northern buyers ultimately underpinned the market. "Cattle have gone all over northern NSW and to places like Goulburn, Yass, Orange and Bathurst and a lot of these cattle are destined for very large commercial feedlots after a backgrounding stint," he said. "Not a lot of local cattle stayed in the region and that is disappointing because I would have preferred to keep a few here to sell them as bullocks one day." Two feature consignments of 680 and 700 cattle, respectively, headlined the sale and equated to close to 40 per cent of the total yarding. Those lines included 700 Angus steers, 10 months, consigned by the Manning family of Davilak Pastoral Co, Mansfield, Glendaloch blood, which averaged 355 kilograms across the draft. The top pen of 30 Angus steers, 400kg, made $2615 or 653c/kg while three pens 393-385kg, made $2570 ranging from 653-667c/kg, while another three pens, 392-380kg, made $2550. At the lighter end of the draft, 24 steers, 275kg, made $2380 or 865c/kg, beating the top price of last year's draft which sold to $1910 and averaged $1765. The other feature consignment was offered by DKF Heywood & Sons, Glenlock, Everton, which included 683 Angus calves, nine and 10 months. The draft included 41 steers, 405kg, for $2615 or 645c/kg, 57 steers, 365kg, for $2530 or 693c/kg and 80 steers, 365kg, and 355kg, for $2490 or 682-701c/kg. The same vendors also sold the dearest pen of steers on a cents a kilogram basis with 29 steers, 212kg, going under the hammer for $2000 or 943c/kg. Vendor Dennis Heywood said he was rapt with the prices and noted the top pen of his draft weighed 25kg more compared to the 2021 top pen. The Heywoods also sold 39 heifers, 344kg, for $2350 or 683c/kg and 81 heifers, 320kg, for $2220 or 693c/kg. Among the volume buyers was Scott Bremner, Killara, who bought more than 600 Angus steers to background in NSW, before they eventually enter the Elders Killara Feedlot at Quirindi, NSW, in a few months. Another regular volume buyer, who wished to remain anonymous, also bought about 600 cattle to background in NSW. Elders Wangaratta territory sales manager Oliver Mason said sale feature lines of cattle, along with those consignments which were weaned and light, were the highlights of his sale. "We had some incredible rates with cattle selling over 900c/kg and basically every steer made over $2000 a head," he said. "Heifers were also making over 750c/kg to join into the winter next year for autumn calvers and that's great to see." Mr Mason said the weight in the cattle compared to the 2021 sale was "comparable", with several other agents noting the yarding was between 10-20 kilogram on average compared to a year ago. "Cattle would be $700-$800 for a similar weighted article for the same time last year," he said. "Last year $1300-$1500 would have bought you a light steer last year, whereas you would have needed over $2100 today." AG & JE Simpson, Araluen, Docker, sold the first pen of 27 Angus steers, 10-11 months, 413kg, for $2590 or 627c/kg. Deepdale, Tallarook, sold 230 mixed-sex Angus calves including 56 Angus steers, 10-11 months, 414kg, for $2690 or 649c/kg. and 72 Angus steers, 368kg, for $2520 or 684c/kg. The same vendor also sold 27 Angus heifers, 364kg, for $2490 or 684c/kg and 39 heifers, 324kg, for $2240 or 691c/kg. Mercieca Pastoral, Mansfield, sold 133 Angus calves including 37 Angus steers, eight and nine months, 390kg, for $2590 or 664c/kg. G McCoy, Chesney Vale, sold 10 steers, nine months, 416kg, for $2600 or 625c/kg and nine heifers, 409kg, for $2430 or 594c/kg. M, B, K & P McPherson, Bowmans Forest, sold 67 Angus steers, nine months, 366kg, for $2570 or 702c/kg and 31 Angus steers, 316kg, for $2440 or 772c/kg. The McPhersons also sold 54 Angus heifers, 305kg, for $2170 or 711c/kg. Pulitano Pastoral, Merrijig, sold 137 Angus mixed-sex cattle including 31 Angus steers, 10-11 months, for $2580 and 26 heifers, 336kg, for $2300 or 684c/kg. LS & SE Heywood, Whorouly, sold 18 steers, 453kg, for $2670 or 589c/kg. BTH Pastoral, Docker, sold 10 steers, 431kg, for $2615 or 606c/kg. G & A Blair Pastoral Co, Staghorn Flat, sold 22 steers, 415kg, for $2570 or 619c/kg and 31 steers, 332kg, for $2460 or 740c/kg. Windswept Holdings, Wangaratta, sold 26 Angus steers, 321kg, for $2540 or 791c/kg. M & E Roche, Whorouly, sold 28 Angus steers, 382kg, for $2530 or 662c/kg and 32 Angus heifers, 321kg, for $2290 or 713c/kg. In the Euro section, Nagnom Family Trust, Osbornes Flat, sold 31 Charolais/Angus-cross steers, nine to 11 months, 400kg, for $2550 or 637c/kg and 14 steers, 355kg, for $2350. PH & RF Creamer sold 21 Charolais/Angus-cross steers, 402kg, for $2540. Brown Owl sold 24 Angus heifers, 343kg, for $2270 or 661c/kg. Finger Pastoral, Mansfield, sold 32 Angus heifers, nine to 10 months, 289kg, for $2050 or 709c/kg.