Carrigallen Mart will hold its first sale for feedlot restricted herds on Martbids on Monday 11 August.

The sale will be the first to take place on the Irish Farmers Journal online bidding platform Martbids.

The sale will take the form of a live auction taking online bids and ringside bids from pre-approved customers and will take place after the normal cattle sale on the Monday evening.

No cattle will leave the sellers' farms, with the mart taking videos and recording weights on farm prior to the sale to circulate to potential buyers.

The sale will be restricted to controlled finishing units being able to purchase animals from the TB-restricted herds.

All animal movements will require prior approval from the local district veterinary office.

Enquiries

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Carrigallen Mart manager Helen Kells said: “We have had a lot of enquiries from customers and sellers about holding a TB-restricted sale and we are delighted to partner with Martbids in running the sale.”

Ireland’s TB herd incidence rates are at their highest rates in 15 years, with the herd incidence rate running at 6% in 2024, up from 4.65% in 2010.

The number of TB-reactor animals increased from 28,868 in 2023 to 41,630 in 2024. There were over 6,000 herds operating under TB restrictions in 2024.

These TB-restricted farms have been confined to either bringing their animals to slaughter or selling them privately to a controlled finishing unit.

Sellers and buyers should contact Carrigallen Mart on 049-433 9633 to find out how they can enter stock and get approved to buy at the sale on 11 August.