The Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (ICSA) has said the move by BidX1 to remove farmland from their online auction site must become permanent policy rather than a “knee-jerk” reaction.

Ahead of an ICSA-organised protest outside their offices in Dublin, BidX1 announced they would be ceasing the sale of agricultural land until such time as there was an agreed framework in place between all involved parties.

Encouraged

Speaking at the protest, ICSA rural development chair Seamus Sherlock said while he welcomed BidX1’s decision, temporary action would not be enough.

He said: “We are encouraged by the statement from BidX1 that they have, for the time being, removed contentious lots from their site in advance to today’s protest. However, for that move to be viewed as anything more than a temporary knee-jerk reaction, it needs to become a permanent policy.”

Mediation

Sherlock said the ICSA wanted BidX1 and other online auction platforms to be more careful about putting land up for sale in cases where “it is still possible for a compromise to be found and a deal concluded".

“At [the] ICSA, we want to see more mediation and less confrontation,” Sherlock said.

He said that the ICSA would continue to press for more regulation of the processes by which farm loans were sold off and managed thereafter.

Online auction firm halts vulture sales of farmland

Permanent policy not a knee-jerk reaction needed on vulture sales – ICSA

Following a protest outside the offices of online auction platform BidX1, the ICSA has called for a permanent policy on the online sale of distressed farmland to be implemented.