In a year of rolling coronavirus lockdowns, thousands of cattle passed through rings around the country when there were neither buyers nor sellers present.
The Irish Farmers Journal asked mart managers to take a look to the future and predict what may lie ahead for their industry.
‘Technology will improve the business further’
\Patrick Browne
David Quinn, Carnew Mart, Wicklow
“Without having to look too far ahead into the future, 2020 has seen one of the biggest revolutions in mart trading history – the biggest change for farmers since swapping fair day for the mart.
“Buyers have had access to more cattle than they ever had before from the comfort of their own homes. This has meant there is more competition with buyers able to access the sale at the click of a button.
“This new technology has potential to improve the mart business even further in the next 10 years. I’m hoping to see competition and the quality in the beef sector grow.
“Every week, we have a great yard of heavy cattle and big demand, so hopefully this will continue.”
‘Greater percentage of sales will be made online’
\Odhran Ducie
Martin McNamara,
Ennis Mart, Clare
“The next 10 years will be challenging no doubt, but we have more resources now than ever to find solutions.
“Technology is going to play a role in [the] mart trade for ever more and a greater percentage of business will be done online as time goes on.
“Online ?[trading] has been a very useful tool for buyers and sellers alike. It has allowed more customers to attend sales where they didn’t have time or access before. Sellers can also drop off their cattle and watch proceedings from home.
“I hope the resurgence in the appetite for beef continues into the next decade. The mart is a price barometer for the whole sector and will continue to indicate how different types of animals are selling.
“The mart is also an important place for farmers to congregate and we only realised how valuable it is this year when we didn’t have the option to gather around the ring.
“The mart, no doubt, will continue to provide a valued service to the farming community in 2030.”
‘Having buyers and sellers present brings a great raw energy’
Lisa Keenan, Kingscourt Mart, Cavan
“Marts are improving all the time and no more so than this past year. Definitely since online trading came to the fore, marts have been in the spotlight and a lot of attention to detail has been paid with greater interest from the general public.
“As great as technology will become I can imagine people will always opt to be ringside and bidding. Having buyers and sellers present brings a great raw energy to the sale and I hope that is still the case in 2030.
“Like every business, there are good years and bad years but the mart trade has always been able to provide me with a good living. We’re always learning how we can do things better so there will be room for improvement.
“I can see more women taking up the role of mart manager. There are plenty of us around the country now. I’m the only female auctioneer and it’s a pity there aren’t more.”
‘Online will only get better’
Darragh Barden, Mohill Mart, Leitrim
“It’s very hard to know what’s to come in the next 10 years with the different uncertainties around Brexit and COVID-19. One thing is for sure, online has been an awful help and we would have been lost without it this year. It’s here to stay and will definitely make our lives easier. Once buyers and sellers are happy with the new system that’s all that matters and I can see these services only improving further into the next decade.”
‘New young faces around the ring’
Dan McCarthy, Kenmare Mart, Kerry
“I hope in the next 10 years stock continues to improve as much as it has in the previous decade. The animals we see coming through the mart are of a superb high quality and with advances in breeding, this can continue.
“We’re in the heart of suckler country here, so Brexit is going to have a massive effect on the foreseeable future. We could see less stock coming through the mart completely as more and more farmers leave beef.
“We have very few young farmers around the ring at the minute and I really hope in 2030 there will be new, young faces joining the sector and trading cattle.
“The average suckler farmer at our sales is approaching pension age, so there is potential for young energy to come into the sector with new ideas and revive trade.”
Read more
Cattle marts sales down 240,000 head of cattle in 2020
This week in photos: young farmer of the year and marts reopening to bidders
In a year of rolling coronavirus lockdowns, thousands of cattle passed through rings around the country when there were neither buyers nor sellers present.
The Irish Farmers Journal asked mart managers to take a look to the future and predict what may lie ahead for their industry.
‘Technology will improve the business further’
\Patrick Browne
David Quinn, Carnew Mart, Wicklow
“Without having to look too far ahead into the future, 2020 has seen one of the biggest revolutions in mart trading history – the biggest change for farmers since swapping fair day for the mart.
“Buyers have had access to more cattle than they ever had before from the comfort of their own homes. This has meant there is more competition with buyers able to access the sale at the click of a button.
“This new technology has potential to improve the mart business even further in the next 10 years. I’m hoping to see competition and the quality in the beef sector grow.
“Every week, we have a great yard of heavy cattle and big demand, so hopefully this will continue.”
‘Greater percentage of sales will be made online’
\Odhran Ducie
Martin McNamara,
Ennis Mart, Clare
“The next 10 years will be challenging no doubt, but we have more resources now than ever to find solutions.
“Technology is going to play a role in [the] mart trade for ever more and a greater percentage of business will be done online as time goes on.
“Online ?[trading] has been a very useful tool for buyers and sellers alike. It has allowed more customers to attend sales where they didn’t have time or access before. Sellers can also drop off their cattle and watch proceedings from home.
“I hope the resurgence in the appetite for beef continues into the next decade. The mart is a price barometer for the whole sector and will continue to indicate how different types of animals are selling.
“The mart is also an important place for farmers to congregate and we only realised how valuable it is this year when we didn’t have the option to gather around the ring.
“The mart, no doubt, will continue to provide a valued service to the farming community in 2030.”
‘Having buyers and sellers present brings a great raw energy’
Lisa Keenan, Kingscourt Mart, Cavan
“Marts are improving all the time and no more so than this past year. Definitely since online trading came to the fore, marts have been in the spotlight and a lot of attention to detail has been paid with greater interest from the general public.
“As great as technology will become I can imagine people will always opt to be ringside and bidding. Having buyers and sellers present brings a great raw energy to the sale and I hope that is still the case in 2030.
“Like every business, there are good years and bad years but the mart trade has always been able to provide me with a good living. We’re always learning how we can do things better so there will be room for improvement.
“I can see more women taking up the role of mart manager. There are plenty of us around the country now. I’m the only female auctioneer and it’s a pity there aren’t more.”
‘Online will only get better’
Darragh Barden, Mohill Mart, Leitrim
“It’s very hard to know what’s to come in the next 10 years with the different uncertainties around Brexit and COVID-19. One thing is for sure, online has been an awful help and we would have been lost without it this year. It’s here to stay and will definitely make our lives easier. Once buyers and sellers are happy with the new system that’s all that matters and I can see these services only improving further into the next decade.”
‘New young faces around the ring’
Dan McCarthy, Kenmare Mart, Kerry
“I hope in the next 10 years stock continues to improve as much as it has in the previous decade. The animals we see coming through the mart are of a superb high quality and with advances in breeding, this can continue.
“We’re in the heart of suckler country here, so Brexit is going to have a massive effect on the foreseeable future. We could see less stock coming through the mart completely as more and more farmers leave beef.
“We have very few young farmers around the ring at the minute and I really hope in 2030 there will be new, young faces joining the sector and trading cattle.
“The average suckler farmer at our sales is approaching pension age, so there is potential for young energy to come into the sector with new ideas and revive trade.”
Read more
Cattle marts sales down 240,000 head of cattle in 2020
This week in photos: young farmer of the year and marts reopening to bidders
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