Athenry Mart in Co. Galway has reopened and resumed business after engagement with the Department of Agriculture, Food and he Marine, Agriland understands.

The mart had its licence suspended on Thursday, April 22, apparently due to a breach in Covid-19 procedures.

It is understood that Athenry Mart resumed sales on Monday of this week (May 3).

The department confirmed last week that it was in contact with management at the mart in order to progress matters and resolve the situation.

Since early in the Covid-19 pandemic, marts have been required to submit standard operating procedures (SOPs) to the department outlining how they would operate while maintaining Covid-19 restrictions around physical distancing and other issues.

The department approves these SOPs, and marts are required to continue to observe them in order to continue trading.

Each mart is subject to ongoing inspections to monitor compliance with Level 5 Covid-19 SOPs and breaches may lead to the suspension of the mart licence.

For several months now, marts have been required to conduct sales online. However, that is set to change in the coming weeks as the country opens up.

Sector sources have confirmed that sellers will be allowed back to mart rings later this month, in a change to the ‘drop and go’ policy they have had to abide by in recent times.

Under plans for the reopening of the sector, those selling livestock through marts will be allowed back to the marts from Monday, May 17 – the same day as the buyers.

Strict SOPs will be still be enforced however, with social distancing firmly in place.

Last Friday (April 30), Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue confirmed that buyers may return to mart ringsides from May 17.

Online trading will continue to be facilitated, alongside the return of in-ring buying.