Drop-and-go policy adopted at factories

I referenced the Ides of March last week in this column as being the date, March 15, which Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s play was warned to beware of.

Little did I or any of us realise a week ago that by last Sunday things in this country would indeed have taken a very dark turn.

The fear of Covid-19 now grips the imagination of the whole country.

I mention in some detail on the following page the measures that cattle marts are currently introducing in an attempt to make their trading environment as safe as possible for all concerned. Similar measures are also reported as being put in place at sheep marts.

The message is clear, we all have a responsibility to our country at this difficult time to follow the best advice available in an attempt to defeat the spread of this virus.

Let there be no mistake however, farming is not a business that you can just switch off.

Providing food to the public is as much a matter of national security as is the health of the nation.

To that end, the closing off of farm trade, food production or food supply is not an option.

However, farmers, marts and processors can only adopt the advice of the Government’s health officials.

As Joe Kinsella of Baltinglass Mart in Wicklow put it: “These are health professionals, they are the ones with the qualifications and it is vital that their advice is fully heeded by all.”

Marts, as I’ve said, are already adapting their procedures, while on the sheep processing side factories have also introduced very stringent measures.

Most appear to have adopted a “drop and go” policy for deliveries with very little human contact envisaged.

While you can still collect your cheque at security the preferred option appears to be by post, with rumours that electronic payment is in the pipe line for the future.

Inside the factory gate, as many office staff as possible are being told to work from home; while in the plant itself not only are sanitisers and gloves compulsory, a rigorous policy of over sight in relation to their use has been instituted.

Turning to the trade, the reality is that quotes over the weekend slipped by 10-20c/kg for hoggets.

Cull ewes remained steady between €3.00-3.05/kg at the majority of factories on our table. However Dawn Ballyhaunis has reduced their ewe quote by 10c/kg to €2.90/kg.

The specifics on the hogget side are as follows, Kildare Chilling’s quote is back 20c/ kg to €5.60+10c/kg quality assurance while the two ICM plants have also dropped back by 20c/kg to €5.50+10c/kg QA.

Both Kepak Athleague and Dawn Ballyhaunis are back 10c/kg on hoggets to €5.60+15c/kg QA and €5.60+10c/kg respectively.

Is there an element of opportunism in these reductions?

Or is it the case, as the factories claim, that movement restrictions on the continent have seen some customers scaling back their orders?

What is in no doubt, however, is that those mart sales that took place on either Friday or Saturday of last week saw hogget prices slip by up to €10/hd.

Farming is not a business you can switch off