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Marts have overcome many challenges in recent years, from COVID-19 restrictions to escalating insurance costs and adopting electronic identification in sheep, and have come out stronger. Throughput in 2023 was recorded in excess of 1.91m bovines, with 1.81m cattle traded successfully. This represents an increase of over 300,000 head in the last decade.
The last two years have been particularly rewarding for marts, with sales of slaughter-fit cattle and cows experiencing a strong resurgence.
Online sales platforms were initially feared by the sector, but the technology has been central to unlocking the full benefits of the transparent auction system and reigniting the export of live animals to Northern Ireland.
The challenges facing marts have not gone away – there are a number of them on the horizon that marts will have to overcome to retain their strong reputation. The scenes depicted in the recent RTÉ Investigates programme will cast a spotlight on how marts operate. Thankfully, the incidents in question are a rare occurrence, but let’s be clear – there is no room for any breach of animal welfare.
Highest standards
The sector will need to double down to ensure that whatever alterations are required, they are put in place for smooth trade of calves next spring. This could include alterations to loading or unloading bays and passageways, to help facilitate the smooth movement of animals through the mart; or improvements to penning. In some cases, there may be no option but to limit throughput on sales days or hold additional sales during peak trading.
It is not just marts that are responsible. Sellers and buyers also have a key role to ensure that only fit and healthy animals are presented for sale and handled with due care. Of course these demands for high standards apply to all categories of animals. Marts are a public place of trade and the sector needs to be confident that any person attending, on any sale date, sees these standards in play.
New technologies
The Department of Agriculture also has a critical role here, not only in ensuring marts are operated to the highest standards, but also in ensuring they have access to the necessary funding and support to make strategic investments. In this regard, there is an opportunity for marts to adopt new technologies that can unlock the potential of electronic identification in bovines, following the introduction of mandatory EID tagging.
There is continued confusion regarding the new TB rules introduced on 1 February 2023. A summary of these is detailed on page 46. Traders should note that these rules should not have any major negative effect on the sale of cull cows. However, given the spike in TB reactors recorded in 2023, this is likely to remain a hot topic for the foreseeable future.
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