Southland farmer with surplus in-milk cows achieves success and surpasses expectations by targeting bidr’s fastest growing and most engaged buyers.

Aiming to maximise the value of surplus in-calf in-milk Friesian dairy cows, Southland farmer Murray Shallard found a ready answer in bidr.

Working alongside PGG Wrightson Livestock’s David Walker and Mark Cuttance, Murray, who farms on 770 hectares at Wendon near Riversdale and has generally sold surplus stock privately in the paddock, had a value in mind for his cows that his two representatives suspected the local market wouldn’t reach.

“While we knew the demand for dairy stock outstripped supply, to meet Murray’s expectations and achieve the best possible sale result we recommended offering the livestock in smaller numbers, therefore catering for more potential purchasers. To enable us to broaden the net and find buyers throughout the country, we suggested utilising the bidr platform,” says David.

Putting New Zealand’s virtual saleyard to the test, first up Murray offered five lines of in-calf dairy heifers through an April online bidr auction. Separating the 76 heifers into five lots, the sale attracted 35 watchers and 22 registered buyers from across the South Island, ranging from Blenheim to Gore, as well as North Island buyers from Northland, Dannevirke, Ngatea, and Hawera. Nine placed bids, and at the end of the sale the heifers had sold on average for $2272 each, exceeding Murray’s reserve by $252 per head, or 12.5 per cent.

That was the encouragement he needed to go back to the platform to offer 51 in-calf in-milk cows, which Murray divided into seven lots, scheduling the bidr sale exclusively online for mid-May, supported by a social media advertising campaign and using the PGG Wrightson network.

“Most young dairy farmers are on social media. Every time I looked at my social media channels, the advert for Murray’s cows was featuring prominently,” says David.

So it proved on sale day, with 28 registered buyers spanning the South Island, from Nelson to Gore, and 67 watching the auction. While one lot was passed in, the other six sold, making an average of $3227.50 per head, once again comfortably exceeding Murray’s reserve, this time by $477.50 per head, or approximately 17 per cent. One lot sold for a full 34 per cent above the reserve

Murray was delighted.

“In any auction system, you have to have faith that the market will come to meet you. I admit to being a control freak. I find it difficult to let go and trust the process, though I know from my years of farming that quality is generally rewarded. Paying attention to detail is the way to achieve a result. If you can put everything out there the best you can, you have to have faith that someone will recognise the quality.

“Although we had high hopes, we were surprised how well they sold. Reaching a broader market, via bidr, achieved a brilliant outcome,” says Murray.

Murray’s success selling dairy cows online reflects a broader trend, says bidr sales and operations manager Caitlin Barnett.

“Dairy buyers on bidr are the platform’s fastest growing and most engaged group, accounting for around 20 per cent of our total users. We have built a very active gallery of online buyers, offering massive and previously untapped potential to sell commercial dairy animals through fully online auctions. That offers a much lower cost and lower hassle option for vendors than taking them to the saleyard or offering them at on-farm auction,” she says. 

For dairy farmers with surplus stock to move, or those looking to maximise returns without the added stress of traditional selling methods, now is the time to consider selling via bidr's online auction platform.

If you’re ready to broaden your buyer base and sell smarter, you can contact the bidr team here, or alternatively talk to your local PGG Wrightson Livestock Rep