Easier access to nationwide cattle market goes live on 1 September for farmers trading through Temuka Saleyards.

Farmers selling cattle at the South Island’s largest saleyard will have more direct access to buyers nationwide from 1 September when bidr takes over as the online selling platform at Temuka.

Previously offering sales online via an overseas based service provider, Temuka is switching to New Zealand’s virtual saleyard, joining 14 other yards with access to bidr’s 13,500 registered users.

Bruce McDougall chairs the co-operative company that owns Temuka Saleyards. In 2021 Temuka selected an overseas based service provider to conduct its online business. Bruce says bidr was the obvious replacement when that company decided to cease its New Zealand operations.

“bidr is the universally used online livestock platform in New Zealand. It is proven technology, familiar to most farmers and livestock traders. Temuka Saleyards handles over 70,000 cattle per year from farms throughout Canterbury and Otago, plus the Chatham Islands. bidr will provide these vendors with a nationwide gallery of potential purchasers.

“Initially the bidr platform will cover all Temuka cattle sales, though if demand arises we have the capability to include sheep sales in the future,” he says.

PGG Wrightson Mid South Canterbury Livestock Manager Joe Higgins says the switch to bidr will increase the reach for the region’s farmers.

“Anyone selling at Temuka will now have a larger audience, including more buyers from further afield. In particular, we expect lower North Island based farmers seeking cattle will find it easier to buy from us on line now, using the platform that has become the standard across New Zealand.

General manager of bidr Liam Beattie says the change will benefit Mid South Canterbury farmers.

“As the South Island’s largest saleyard, we know Temuka will attract strong interest from our online buyers. Bidr operated from nine different South Island saleyards during the April-May calf selling season and having Temuka in the mix is a really exciting addition. During those sales, we saw one bid in every five originate from an online buyer. With increased market awareness, farmers growing more confident in buying stock online, and a database of users that continues to grow by 20 per cent per annum, having Temuka join bidr means vendors will gain greater exposure to more buyers across a broader stretch of the country,” he says.

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