A wet soaking across southern Australia forced two headline vendors to abandon Leongatha's store cattle sale after more than 100 millimetres of rain made it impossible for livestock trucks to enter some properties.
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Agents yarded about 1750 cattle for the fortnightly Victorian Livestock Exchange market, where the absence of two prominent feedlot operators affected the performance of prices.
A consignment of 100 grown, two-year-old steers from Merrijig Pastoral, Merrijig, was cancelled after the high country property received more than 100mm of rain in 24 hours.
Eighty yearling-off cattle aged 12-14 months from Mirboo were also unable to be sold because of the wet weather which has dampened parts of an already sodden South Gippsland.
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Agents said better-bred weaner cattle were firm-to-soft in places, depending on quality and breed, while heavy cattle eased by 20 cents a kilogram or more in places.
Feedlot Teys Charlton and meat buyer JBS were also notable omissions from the sale, leaving only a handful of feedlots to compete for suitably-weighted cattle.
SEJ Leongatha livestock manager James Kyle said a general downturn in cattle prices dampened vendors' expectations in the lead up to the market.
"Some of the smaller, lighter, well-bred lines of cattle sold to a shade dearer as the sale went on, but the heavier cattle were a lot cheaper this week," he said.
Commission buyers Campbell Ross, Melbourne, and Anthony Hullick, Tarwin, who bought for Keswick Pastoral and Westside Meats, were among the most frequent buyers.
Thomas Foods International buyer Mark Dwyer purchased 140 cattle in total, including 70 to background and 70 destined for the company's feedlot operation.
Alex Scott & Staff livestock manager Dane Perczyk said the sale was tough.
"Heavy cattle that suited feedlots received good competition, but cattle that didn't make those specs were really hard to sell," he said.
"It was a very mixed yarding and half the amount of cattle we had at our last sale.
"In the past, the light cattle have been the easier ones to sell, but we saw that swing around in this sale because the heavier ones were easier to move on, unlike the lighter cattle which were hard to sell."
G & Y Humphrey, Mount Eccles, sold 11 steers, 362 kilograms, for $950 or 262c/kg to Mr Ross.
Fuller Downs, Foster, sold 24 steers, 313kg, for $940 or 300c/kg to a bullock fattener at Koonwarra.
EA & JE Bennett, Mardan, sold 20 steers, 289kg, for $1040 or 359c/kg to Nutrien South Gippsland Livestock agent Alkira Riley for an undisclosed client.
J & S Kelly, Korumburra, sold four steers, 323kg, for $750 or 232c/kg.
Vuiller Shorthorns, Yanakie, sold 14 steers, 398kg, for $1100 or 276c/kg to Mr Ross.
TFI bought a pen of 14 steers consigned by C & S Hughes, Tarwin, 531kg, for $1760 or 331c/kg.
G & K Berryman, Fish Creek, sold eight Red Angus steers, 380kg, for $1240 or 326c/kg.
F & C Cameron, Wild Dog, Phillip Island, sold 12 steers, 360kg, for $1200 or 333c/kg to SEJ Leongatha agent Owen Kindellan for a bullock fattener at Inverloch.
AM Green, Bemboka, NSW, sold 15 Hereford steers, 596kg, for $1900 or 318c/kg to a bullock fattener at Leongatha, and 16 steers, 541kg, for $1780 or 329c/kg.
N Haustorfer, Carrjung, sold 17 steers, 502kg, for $1650 or 328c/kg to TFI, which also bought 24 steers consigned by J & F Fiddelaeus, Leongatha, 312kg, for $1100 or 352c/kg.
Merlewood Angus, Mirboo, sold 19 steers, 255kg, for $950 or 372c/kg and 19 steers, 238kg, for $950 or 399c/kg.
C & K Nelson sold 11 Hereford steers, 640kg, for $1800 to Keswick Pastoral.
In the heifers, Rob Lees, trading as Faulkner Lees, Mardan, sold 22 Angus heifers, 404kg, for $1510 or 373c/kg to Alex Scott & Staff livestock agent Alan Bolding for a client to use in a breeding operation.
B & J Taylor, Mardan, sold four heifers, 328kg, for $800 or 243c/kg to Westside Meat.
D Parrington, Wild Dog Valley, sold 12 heifers, 264kg, for $730 to Mr Ross.
N & J Buckland, Fish Creek, sold 28 heifers, 244kg, for $750 or 307c/kg.
Rivena Nominees, Deniliquin, NSW, sold a consigned of heifers from Bega, NSW, including 17 heifers, 371kg, for $1250 or 336c/kg, 20 heifers, 311kg, for $1080 or 347c/kg and 13 heifers, 273kg, for $550.
E & S Gloster sold 14 heifrs, 355kg, for $1150 or 323c/kg and 14 heifers, 302kg, for $800 or 264c/kg.