The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, is being urged re-introduce a limited public auction service at marts across the country.
Following the resumption of the mart trade in Northern Ireland (with restrictions), calls are now being made for Irish marts to be afforded the option of emulating the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)-approved system in place across the border.
While Minister Creed’s department last month approved standard operating procedures (SOPs) for 77 of the Republic’s 85 marts – allowing provision for some essential services such as facilitating calf sales, weighing livestock and some online and brokerage services – a number of operators have continued to stress that the trade is too hamstrung by these measures.
To put the situation into context, new department figures show that the number of animals moving through Irish marts so far this year – up to May 3 – is back 33% on the same period last year – standing at 476,844 for 2020, compared to 710,191 for 2019.
According to the data from the department’s internal system – and seen by AgriLand – the figures for the most recent weeks are as outlined as per the table below:
Speaking to AgriLand, Eimear McGuinness, the chairperson of the Mart Managers of Ireland, is adamant that a safe sale system – akin to that of the six counties – needs to be introduced.
She says the reason she has confidence in such a system is that marts in the Republic had – in the main – successfully operated a similar set-up (in line with HSE safety guidelines on hygiene and social distancing) in the days before the country went into its Covid-19 lock-down on March 28.
And while there has been on-going constructive engagement with the department, marts and marts organisations in terms of preparatory work to enhance the SOPs under phase two of the Government’s roadmap to ease the restrictions, McGuinness warns that some marts “may never re-open” if action on the public auction isn’t taken in the short-term.
“It appears that marts, and the farmers, have just been completely forgotten about.
“There are no marts operating in Donegal. I, like many of the marts we represent, need to be able to tailor my SOP to allow for a more expansive service.
We’re not asking for anything that is going to make the marts an unsafe place; we’re simply asking that they allow us to put in place our proposals that will improve the situation and move to earlier, safer sales.
“Marts have lost two months of their busiest period. Since there has been no sales in Donegal a lot of the stock from Donegal has gone to Manorhamilton where there is an online sale,” she said.
Online challenge
McGuinness noted that stock numbers have multiplied at marts where online sales are working, with some holding sales every day of the week.
However, she cautions that this is not at option for every operator.
“We are probably going to have to put in an online system of some regard; but for marts that are just breaking even how do you invest in that now too?” she asks.
“The book stops with the minister and all we’re asking is to change the SOP back to a situation that allows the sales to keep operating – but in a safer fashion.
“A situation where you are allowed to hold an auction with limited numbers at the ring – in other words, the Northern Ireland system at present, where a small number of buyers are allowed at the ringside. That is what we must strive for,” McGuinness said.
Return of the ring
The re-opening of the mart trade (with restrictions) in Northern Ireland – where the public lockdown is set to continue for another three weeks – has been widely welcomed.
- Only buyers are permitted onto mart premises;
- Buyers must pre-register to attend the market and declare that they are healthy and that they have not been in known contact with anyone who has Covid-19 symptoms;
- No buyers are permitted over 70 years of age;
- No buyers are permitted that have an underlying health condition;
- Only one family member is permitted;
- Marts must keep a log of buyers that attend each sale – including: name, address and contact number;
- Buyers must strictly adhere to social distancing measures – with rings and galleries required to be marked out to ensure a minimum two meters spacing between buyers. Buyers are allocated a space that they must occupy and they must stay in this place only;
- The number of buyers is limited by ring size and how many marked spaces the ring can accommodate;
- Buyers must use hand sanitisers provided;
- Buyers must enter the office individually or at a maximum of two at a time – if the office is suitably large enough. Hand sanitiser will be available on entry and exit of office and a queuing system will ensure that buyers are a minimum of two meters apart while awaiting entry;
- Buyers will be requested to leave the market as soon as their business is concluded and they must use hand sanitiser on exiting the premises.
Other strict and detailed measures are also in place for sellers, for the removal of stock post-auction, for signage, for mart staff and other general precautions in terms of canteen facilities, routine cleaning and the availability of sanitisers.
Speaking to AgriLand James Johnston, Enniskillen Ulster Farmers’ Mart manager and spokesman for the Northern Ireland Livestock and Auctioneers’ Association (NILAA) outlined how the situation is progressing.
“It’s working well so far; the feedback is definitely positive. Buyers were very keen to get back around the ring to see the animal.
“But nearly every mart has split their sale days – we used to have six rings going on a Thursday, but we’ve split it to two days, so there are less buyers and less cattle on the premises at the one time.
A limited number of marts will keep their online sales going to move through the stock and keep people to a minimum – some buyers are still happy to buy online.
“We represent 16 marts and the majority of them are back operating, bar a couple. We’re still in full lock-down, but the rest will re-open over the coming weeks,” Johnston said.
Discussions
For now, marts in the Republic have been advised to continue operating with the SOPs that are agreed and are in place.
Marts have been advised by the department that the situation may stay that way until possible changes are made in line with phase two of the unwinding of the economy’s shutdown – touted to come into effect from early next month.
However, it is understood that discussions on the matter – including the possibility of an earlier return to the aforementioned safer sale scenario – remain ongoing between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health.