Peter Moore joins The Country’s Jamie Mackay to chat about New Zealand’s livestock market.

Mackay and Moore look at selling livestock through the New Zealand Covid19 Lockdown levels* as there are some sales yards that fall into the level 3 restrictions zones. Moore confirms that it is mostly business as usual at this stage.

Mackay queries if the country is to move into alert level 3, then what would the auction system look like. Moore verifies that with alert level 3, sales yards will close but online technology allows the livestreams of sales yards.

Moore is tentative in saying that there is the potential for sale yards to be open under alert level 3 with some restrictions, dependent on MPI and Ministry of Health view.

At this stage there will be enforcement of contact tracing and managing numbers at sales yards. Moore adds that it isn’t as bad at this time of year as it is their off season.

Moving into spring will see larger numbers of stock movement, and Moore’s concern for this is how to operate and auction feeder calves under lockdown alert levels.

Bobby calves are set to perform averagely in the upcoming season as the international demand for pelts have dropped.  Moore notes that the focus should be on quality beef calves to help secure the future of the New Zealand beef industry.

The international demand for commodity foods, such as beef, is still high. Moore adds that this is good for New Zealand in the short term but there is the challenge of agricultural sector producing added value products and the limited demand for them.