Sales on the land via farm-to-farm or internet-based marketing agencies do not ensure the true market value of cattle and sheep and many farmers are short changed by the prices they get when selling at home.

How do you know you are getting the best possible price on the day if you only rely on the offer from one bidder, be they dealers or other farmers? In most cases you don’t, and the short-term convenience factor of not having to load animals for the mart is usually a very expensive exercise.

The local co-operative livestock mart is the price-setter for all livestock types – sheep, calves, weanlings, stores, breeding stock and finished animals. In addition, when this fair market value is established, it is vital that the seller has complete confidence in the cheque.

This is where co-operative livestock marts can give absolute peace of mind to all farmers. The long-standing and proud track record of co-operative livestock marts in honouring all cheques issued by them is now further reinforced by the stringent inspection and oversight functions of the new Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA), particularly in regard to client account maintenance by all marts registered by the authority.

This provides even further assurance that all co-operative livestock mart cheques will be honoured. No other marketing channels in Ireland can give as complete an assurance to farmers.

Farmers should only sell their livestock in marts that are licensed by the PSRA as the rigors of full compliance with this authority guarantees payment.

For most farmers, selling or buying their livestock in the co-operative mart occurs only a few times per year. Some farmers have decided that, due to perceived time pressure or other reasons, they will sell at home via internet-based marketing agencies or through other farmers, dealers or agents.

This may well be penny wise and pound foolish as, in most cases, there are no guarantees of payment via private sales, but your local co-operative mart always guarantees payment.

However, recent technological advances in communication cannot be ignored by the mart sector and with this in mind, ICOS is currently working with a software development company to enable farmers to buy and sell their livestock over the internet, through a live bidding platform, but still retain the guaranteed payment that co-operative livestock marts have always given to farmers.

2015 launch

We are aiming for an early 2015 launch of this service to farmers.

All co-operative marts were founded by farmers for the benefit of all livestock farmers. Farmers who desert their co-operative livestock mart do so at their peril!

In seeking the convenience of “on the land sales”, farmers put at risk the only institution in the livestock and meat sector that is solely focused on protecting the commercial interests of its farmer members, and guarantees payment.