Corowa saleyards ability to lure sheep and lamb from producers at Omeo in East Gippsland to Ivanhoe in the central Darling played a major part in a surge in livestock numbers last financial year.
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Agents agree the Corowa yards are strategically well placed between its two biggest rivals in Wagga and Bendigo and led to 175,000 more lambs and sheep being sold in 2018-19 compared to the previous financial year.
Throughput hit the 795,000 mark with a total value of more than $115 million in 2018-19.
"We've got a consistent buyer field week in, week out with exporters regular attendees and supermarkets present 80 per cent of the time," Corowa Elders agent Steve Grantham said.
"The quality is also good.
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"We've had some big yardings (in the current financial year), but not as big as last year because of the drought.
"To be fair, Yarrawonga and Wangaratta don't have sales any more and there has been a regionalisation of things really."
Corcoran Parker agent Clynton Rixon said the big prices paid at Corowa last financial year came at a time when numbers were low elsewhere.
"At the height of the prices there probably wasn't as many lambs going over the hooks," he said.
"Also, some other selling centres haven't gone ahead whereas Corowa with its saleyard improvements has yarded a lot more stock from Benalla, Mansfield, Yarrawonga and Shepparton.
"We have got a lot bigger drawing area and when you combine those two factors it has led to the improved numbers.
"The season hasn't been outstanding, but it has been solid and if anything with the present stubbles that are available there is a lot more stock coming into the area than going out.
"We've just come out of the spring which is the major time for numbers and hopefully when all the holidays finish it will crank up again."
Federation Council, which owns and operates the saleyards, is planning to spend $500,000 this financial year on improvements including raised walkways and a further 29 pens.
The tender for the works will be released this month and awarded in February with works anticipated to start in March at the earliest.
The council is actively pursuing grant funding for future upgrades including additional land, roofing, upgrade of effluent management systems, water capture and solar.
It has submitted an expression of interest through the NSW government's growing local economies program for funding of $8.2 million.