Livestock prices now on free mobile app, a New Zealand first

Livestock prices now on free mobile app, a New Zealand first

Media release: Farmers can now get live saleyard and processor prices on their smartphones from innovative new service

Farmers and agents can now get live saleyard and processor prices, free on their smartphones.

Live schedule prices from most major meat processors are now available on an innovative new web app for smartphones.

Similar price data is available on the app for most major saleyards.

This allows both farmers and their agents transparent and up-to-date access to market prices. It will ensure every farmer gets a fair comparative understanding of where the market is before they sell or buy, and get a fairer crack at getting the "right price".

This smartphone service is available only at www.interest.co.nz/livestock

It uses the same live data displayed on the full website www.interest.co.nz/rural but in a convenient manner when farmers and agents are in the field and away from a pc.

Data for this service is updated as soon as it is available from processors and saleyards.

"Important pricing decisions are being made by many rural people with out-of-date and often selective data at present" said publisher of the service, David Chaston. "We have seen too many cases where farmers got under-market returns just because they don't have access to live and comprehensive data. This new service will make it easier to ensure everyone negotiates with the best knowledge on prices available."

"We know that not everyone has good enough mobile broadband access for smartphone use, but coverage is slowly improving and resources such as this will become normal for many. Those that can't get smartphone access can still use normal pc based web access" he said.

Coverage is national and includes beef, sheep, and deer, with comprehensive screens for bulls, calves, heifers, steers, and cows (both dairy and M), stags and hinds, lamb, ewes, and mutton. Prices are from most major processors, key local trade buyers, and many saleyards.

Some processors still operate in a selective and secretive way with their schedule pricing. However interest.co.nz hopes farmers themselves will contribute the bits of market knowledge they have to help fill in the few missing pieces. That way we can help ensure that most of the end-market returns flow back to the product producers as fairly as possible. Relevant market data can be emailed to updates@interest.co.nz

Chaston said he expected there to be hesitant acceptace by a few processors of such transparency, but that in the end processors will realise it is to their advantage, and that the best outcomes for everyone come when the competition for animals is based on quality rather than price.

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