Buyers will be permitted to attend mart sales under the new Level 5 lockdown, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has confirmed.
However, they can only attend the mart if they have pre-booked their place with the auctioneer.
Sellers must return to the drop-and-go system which was in place during the previous lockdowns.
Face coverings will be mandatory for everyone in any area of the mart premises, as well as strict 2m social distancing.
Marts must prevent people from congregating in the mart car park or at entry ways to the mart buildings.
Marts must submit new standard operating procedures (SOPs) to their local regional veterinary office for approval.
Online trading
Minister McConalogue encouraged both buyers and sellers to continue to use online sales apps, saying that the blend of online and in-person sales had been proven to be an “excellent way of trading cattle and sheep, with strong throughput coupled with steady process in recent weeks, while offering a safe environment for those involved”.
He urged farmers and marts to stick to the new public health guidelines announced by the Government.
“The health, safety and wellbeing of the general public is our top priority at present as we continue to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said, commending the work of mart managers and farmers in recent months.
SHARING OPTIONS