It’s fair to say that marts are experiencing one of their most turbulent years of trading. As Adam Woods reports this week, mart throughput collapsed during the busy trading months of March, April and May. This dented mart finances significantly, but thankfully some lost ground has been made up, with throughput running much higher during June, July and August.

The introduction of online trading platforms has helped, but the real life of the auction system remains with bidders at the ringside. Adherence to social distancing guidelines and wearing face masks is critical to complying with Government guidelines and remaining in a position of being able to permit buyers entry to the ringside and sellers entry to sell their stock.

There have been some worrying reports of non-compliance with the regulations of late, and there will be an even greater spotlight on how all businesses, including marts, conduct their business in the wake of a resurgence of cases. In some counties, the relevant Department of Agriculture Regional Veterinary Offices have written to marts reminding them of their duties and that non-compliance with the agreed standard operating protocols could lead to mart closures or the suspension of licences.

There is an onus on each individual attending marts to take responsibility for their own actions and comply with what is being asked of them

It is not just up to marts to implement the regulations. Yes, marts must provide the environment to trade, including setting out areas where patrons can be positioned and calculating numbers that can attend. But there is an onus on each individual attending marts to take responsibility for their own actions and comply with what is being asked of them. It will be too late to say we should have done things differently if marts are forced to restrict ringside attendance again.

While COVID-19 has changed everyday life for us all, farming cannot afford to stand still. The second part of this week’s focus concentrates on livestock handling. We discuss the important role weight and performance recording can play in livestock sectors. If we cannot measure performance, then it is hard to identify areas where changes will deliver a benefit.