A NEW WEBSITE is hoping that farmers will embrace a digital take on the traditional livestock mart.

The website, livestock-live.com, has already sold as much as €500,000 worth of livestock since it was launched in the United Kingdom, and allows farmers to buy and sell online in live auctions.

Their first online auction of livestock will come to an end tomorrow at the Tullamore agricultural show with the sale of two beef cattle worth €1000 each. Bidding started at just €1, but uptake has so far been slow.

“Farmers are becoming more comfortable with the online buying space and I believe that Livestock-Live.com will act as the catalyst for the online buying and selling of livestock across the country,” CEO Brendan Hannigan said.

Hannigan stressed that a “secure payment system” is in place, and that a requirement to pre-fund accounts safeguards all transactions. A bidder must have the necessary funds in their account before they can make a bid.

It can also save on transport costs.

However, Ray Doyle of the Irish Cooperative Organisation Society (ICOS) that there are fundamental differences between traditional markets and this online version.

He noted that transactions might not be covered by the Property Services Regulatory Authority and that traditional marts use a ‘client account’ to ensure transactions are followed-through.

“It’s very similar to other methods out there, be it Gumtree or eBay,” he said, “This one may or may not be successful.”
Livestock-live.com differs from these mediums as it does not act as an ‘advertising board’,

Doyle added that traditional marts had the benefit of a auctioneer who can regulate proceedings.

Read: Farmers have ‘added childcare responsibilities’ during busiest months due to income pressure >

More: This farmer has a very unique way of gathering up his cattle >