Delvin Mart in Co Westmeath has had its trading license suspended by the Department of Agriculture due to breaches of the COVID-19 protocol for sales.

Thursday’s sale of cattle, calves and sheep was cancelled and there will be no sales until further notice.

Auctioneer Thomas Potterton told the Irish Farmers Journal: “Unfortunately our license was suspended and there is no sale today, with no sales planned pending further discussions with the Department of Agriculture.”

Numbers on site

It is understood that Department officials were not happy with the number of people on site at the mart last week, in the penning and lairage areas.

There were also issues relating to the canteen and the incorrect wearing of masks by both staff and patrons of the mart.

Potterton said the mart was appealing the decision and had submitted a detailed document outlining how it would address the problems found.

Officer

“One of those is that we have undertaken to appoint a COVID-19 officer, whose sole duty will be to strictly enforce the 2m social distancing and to ensure that the mart lairage and penning area is vacated before the sale starts,” he said.

“There will be no social aspect to it [the mart] at all.”

“We are treating this very seriously and intend to address the issues immediately, so we hope to deal with the Department amicably,” said the auctioneer.

We are treating this very seriously and intend to address the issues immediately

It will be a senior veterinary officer from the Department of Agriculture who will decide whether the mart’s license to trade can be returned.

“I’m confident that the new measures put in place [will] allow that to happen,” said Potterton.

“I will be personally working alongside the new COVID-19 officer.”

Delvin Mart is the only mart in Co Westmeath and at this time of year it handles around 400 cattle, up to 300 calves and up to 600 sheep every Thursday.

The mart staff contacted as many farmers as it could to alert them to the cancellation of the Thursday sale, but a minority did arrive at the mart, unaware that it had been cancelled.

Mart variation

There have been reports that the application of the COVID-19 rules between marts varies widely.

The Irish Farmers Journal understands that one mart in the southwest has been accused of brazenly flouting the ban on buyers in the ring, allowing buyers to gather in areas not visible to cameras.

Another mart in the south was ordered to close its canteen, which had been opened to cater for staff only.

A crackdown by Department of Agriculture officials in the southwest last week saw marts ordered to police the social distancing requirement among farmers in their car parks.

Level playing field

Irish Co-Operative Organisation Society (ICOS) livestock executive Ray Doyle said that ICOS marts were striving for 100% compliance with COVID-19 regulations and it was disappointing that some marts were flouting the rules.

“I applaud this action by the Department of Agriculture. This has gone on for too long, where the rules are not administered even-handedly across all marts,” Doyle said, calling for a level playing field for all marts.