The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is today (Thursday December 31) urging marts to submit a revised standard operating procedure (Level 5 – January 2021) to their regional veterinary office for approval as soon as possible.
It follows an announcement last evening by An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin of increased restrictions under Level 5 of the government’s plan for living with Covid-19.
Last week, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue had announced that marts would go ahead with a mixture of online and ringside bidding.
Online only system
However, today the department has confirmed to AgriLand that marts may only operate with an online system for the duration of the current restrictions, which are in place, provisionally until January 31.
“In order to protect the agri-sector and wider rural communities from the spread of Covid-19, and in line with public health guidelines, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) directed that livestock mart sales take place using online platforms only,” a spokesperson for the department said.
Online mart sales systems have operated in Ireland since April. The department has worked closely with marts representative organisations during the Covid-19 period to ensure that marts can remain in operation.
“Marts must submit a revised standard operating procedure (“Level 5 SOP – January 2021”) to their Regional Veterinary Office for approval as soon as possible,” the spokesperson added.
The guidance is that marts must be held online with arrangements to facilitate weighing of animals; matching of stock between buyers and sellers; drop-off of animals; and buyers’ inspection of stock in the pens by appointment.
The increased restrictions announced yesterday, which includes a 5km limit on travel, is an effort to curb the spread of the virus which has been growing rapidly since restrictions were eased earlier this month.
Yesterday there were 1,718 reported cases of Covid-19 and 13 deaths.