While there have been plenty of solid results for bidr in the saleyards, the real-time, live auction online platform hadn’t ever been used for an on-farm, solely ewe sale. 

But when Mike Gill, a PGG Wrightson sheep and beef rep in Lumsden, spoke to multiple people who wanted sheep, and who couldn’t get to an auction in Mossburn, Southland on the 12th of February, he and the vendor decided to give bidr a go. 

“It was largely unknown whether people would buy commercial capital stock online. However, with a large gallery of buyers, it ended up being a great success and the client was really happy with the outcome. And also full clearance, none of the breeding stock sold were going to be sent off to the works. So it was the result we all wanted,” says Mike. 

“We now have two other sales coming up, and I think that’s due to more people seeing the advantages of using bidr and how it opens you up to buyers who can still participate, no matter where they are located.” 

The outcome of this auction clearly illustrates one of the auction site’s primary benefits, says Sam Murphy, the lower South Island territory manager for bidr. 

“For this particular auction there were nine online registered buyers (as well as 27 online attendees), four lines sold to three different online buyers, a third of the sale sold online and seven of the nine lines received online bidding.   

“While we have done capital stock ewe fairs at salesyards before, this is the first, single vendor on farm capital stock ewe sale bidr has been a part of. And those figures show how valuable bidr was for that sale - with buyers and bidders from as far away as Otago, South Canterbury and North Canterbury. Farmers don’t always have the time to go and spend six hours travelling for a sale that is over in 30 minutes.” 

“No one was very sure how it would run, so kudos must go to Mike Gill and his vendor for their willingness to give it a go.”

And while already an advocate for bidr, Mike says this auction has certainly helped to build on the reputation bidr already has in the marketplace. 

“As this was the first sale of the season, it was unsure what the state of the market would be. So there was a bit of apprehension it could be quite weak. But bidr was able to bring in more bidders, create more competition and add more value to the overall process. 

“I know it is being used at a growing number of auctions.” 

And the proof is in the numbers Sam is seeing for the platform, which are growing consistently year-on-year. Sam says bidr has now been present at a wide variety of sales, and what comes with that is growing confidence in its offering and benefits - even for those not currently looking to buy or sell! 

“I have actually had a lot of farmers tell me that even if they aren’t bidding, they still enjoy watching the auctions as it helps them to stay up-to-date with what has been happening in the market. So it’s a really great tool for that as well.” 

As with most new technology, Sam notes that it has taken a while for those in the industry to become comfortable and familiar with how bidr works and why it’s a valuable asset in the selling process. But for every auction like this recent one in Mossburn, it’s another move in the right direction. 

“With bidr, videos of stock are uploaded beforehand, then there is a live stream of the auction, and while people can be on the farm or at the saleyard, there’s the option to watch and participate online too,” says Sam. 

“It’s a way to widen the audience and get that extra reach for the sale. There’s also the time saving. I know of a buyer at the end of February who would’ve had to travel nine hours each way to an auction, but because of bidr, they could still bid and make the purchase they wanted to.”   

“We have had quite a presence at cattle sales for the last couple of years and people know the demand for that. But this ewe sale  was quite a big deal at the time, and we have similar sales with PGG Wrightson coming up over the next few months.”