This mob of 360 cows averaged $2175, the highest value for a single lot in an online livestock auction.
The recent sale of a commercial Southland dairy herd has achieved the highest ever value for an online livestock auction.
Winton farmers Simon and Liz Harnett’s crossbred Friesian herd of in-calf cows sold for $2175 a head.
The sale had 360 two-to eight-year-old cows offered from a herd of 440 animals. The combined total for all of the animals was $783,000, the largest value for a single lot at a New Zealand online livestock auction.
PGG Wrightson Southern South Island dairy livestock manager Mark Cuttance oversaw the sale, conducted on bidr.
He says it attracted plenty of attention and proved a highly effective way to sell a herd.
“This is the first time we have sold a dairy herd online. For a herd as good as this one, it has proved an excellent option to conduct the sale,” Cuttance said.
“When the sale went live, we had 218 people watching across the country, from Auckland to Invercargill. As an online auction this sale was in front of a nationwide market, reaching a much wider profile of purchasers than a conventional selling process. A Canterbury buyer came through with the winning bid.”
Liz says the online sale was an efficient opportunity for the market to set the price.
“Fortunately, that was the same as what we thought our cows are worth – although the market dictated that value, rather than us. Giving the herd nationwide exposure through this online platform, the feedback and calls we had from people we have known through our dairy careers was amazing. Our buyer wouldn’t have known about the cows if not for bidr,” Liz said.
“We are thrilled with the outcome, and really happy that our cows are going to someone with the same values that we have and the same level of respect for their cows that we have always had for our herd.
