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Downpatrick Co-operative Mart facilitated a weigh-and-tender service this week on more than 60 cattle.
As a first attempt, feedback from buyers and sellers has been positive and as such, the mart plans to follow up with similar events until normal trading can resume.
To avail of the service, farmers notify the mart that they have cattle to sell.
These animals are given a lot number and photographed, then advertised by the mart online.
Potential buyers then submit a price tender to the mart on a price-per-kilo basis.
The highest price tendered for each lot is relayed back to the seller, and if accepted, the cattle are weighed on the mart premises and payment completed.
“The service allows farmers to buy and sell cattle from the safety of their home, helping to abide by the government advice on social distancing and non-essential travel, which is vitally important at present,” said mart manager Sean McConvey.
Cattle only leave the farm for weighing if the tendered price is accepted.
Weighing of animals is carried out by a skeleton staff behind closed doors. No farmer or buyer is allowed inside the mart.
“With normal sales suspended, we tried this to help our members move cattle and ease cashflow worries. We will review how it went and try and replicate it until sales resume,” added McConvey.
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