Well Mulled Over 75 Minute Dairy Trade

News release

10 June, 2002

Dairy farmers and meat processors seize new internet trading option

Southland farmers Sandra and Graeme Deaker spent several days considering the idea of trying to sell their cull cows over the Internet - and just 75 minutes to make the sale.

The Deakers, of Merino Downs near Gore, had been trying to sell the 44 boner cows to local meat processors for more than a month when they registered them for sale through Prime.ex, the new internet tendering system for farmers and meat processors.

"We put them on at quarter past three and they sold to a North Island company by half past four and were off the farm within six days," says Graeme.

"It was our first experience of trading stock on the internet so we were very pleased."

The Deakers have joined a growing number of farmers throughout the country using Prime.ex, part of the Fencepost.com's Livestock Online service, to sell their dry stock and boner cows to meat processors.

"It was something new for us and we mulled it over for three or four days before deciding to give it a try," says Sandra Deaker.

"But we were really pleased with the result." Stu and Debbie Bland of Taieri Plains just south of Dunedin had a similar experience to the Deakers.

The Blands, who farm 335 dairy cows on 100 hectares, sold 19 boner cows almost instantly through Prime.ex - to North Island meat company Richmonds, which also purchased the Deakers' stock.

"They sold within three hours and were gone within four days," says Debbie Bland.

"I found the whole thing really easy and well organised. The carriers were great and the stock made the journey well and were well cared for."

Having the cows taken off the farm early is an excellent result for the Blands and the Deakers because it means valuable winter feed is saved for the best stock which will remain on the farm until next season.

"Last season we still had cull cows around end June," says Sandra Deaker.

"We'll definitely be going back to Prime.ex next year. We will continue to offer everything to the agents down here first but the local agents' hands are tied as much as ours when it comes to the space available at local plants. There are a lot more dairy farmers in the North Island and they're getting space and we're not. To get rid of 44 in one hit - it's an excellent result."

Debbie Bland says Prime.ex has clearly opened up new options for disposing of stock. "We'll definitely use Prime.ex again."

Richmond general manager livestock Scott Weir was equally pleased with the deals done with the South Island farmers. "

Prime.ex has made available lines of cattle in the South Island that we wouldn't have otherwise known about and we're pleased we were able to facilitate a transaction that worked well for both parties," he says.

"There was a bit more organising involved because the system is new and we had to factor extra freight but I think Prime.ex opens another option for meat processors and goes hand in hand with the increased use of electronic technology in the agricultural industry."

Fencepost.com's Livestock Online manager Dave McPherson says interest in Prime.ex has been growing steadily since its launch in February - especially as dairy farmers are now looking to get their cull cows off the farm. "Prime.ex is another example of Fencepost.com bringing the world to the farm gate." he says.

"We're opening up new trading opportunities both for farmers and meat processors which we hope will bring efficiencies to both sides of the business.

" For more information about Fencepost, visit http://www.fencepost.com.

For further information contact

deborah@peadpr.co.nz

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