The Daily Examiner, 3 April 2020:
For the first time, online bidding of cattle took place at the Northern Rivers Livestock Exchange this week.
Using StockLive, buyers could bid for weaners through the online portal in the comfort of their own home. The timing couldn’t be better.
NRLX operations manager Brad Willis confirmed livestock sales would continue at the Casino saleyards with only essential staff, agents and registered buyers permitted on-site.
He said he was actively working to ensure the continuity of business while taking into account the public health consequences of the COVID-19 situation.
Victoria has cancelled live cattle sales but NRLX has no plan to follow suit. Mr Willis said it would stay open as long as it complied with the rules.
“The NRLX is a vital cog in the food supply chain and we need everyone’s co-operation to ensure the facility can operate for as long as possible,” Mr Willis said.
“If everyone uses common sense, we’ll get through.”There were 258 viewers and 27 registered buyers online for the sale.
ABC News, 2 April 2020:
The Northern Rivers Livestock Exchange has reported its highest sale week in its history, with nearly $8.29 million in sales generated at the saleyards in Casino last week.
A total of 7,784 head of cattle were sold across three days of operations — the prime sale and the annual weaner sales — up from around 3,000 head last year totalling just under $3 million in sales for the same week.
The prolonged drought resulted in the tough market last year, but this year coronavirus delivered a different challenge with NRLX using StockLive to host an online auction for the first time since its $14 million upgrade.
