Tickets to the ringside are more commonly associated with the circus and not marts, but this is the new reality for livestock sales for the next while. The new measures to combat the spread of the Covid-19 virus hit marts for the first time on Friday.
Some farmers queue up to enter the ring.
Skibbereen Mart in west Cork was among the first marts to implement the measures and while it caught some people off guard, they adapted quickly.
There was a different colour ticket available for each ring and sellers were allowed in ahead of when their stock were due to sell. If you weren't buying or selling, it was a case of 'no tickets, no in'.
Skibbereen Mart used different colour tickets for each sales ring.
Different air
Heading into the building, there was a different air about the place.
Disinfectant isn't normally the first smell that hits your nostrils when you enter a mart. A hand sanitising station was set up just outside the door, with a few more located in the building.
Reducing numbers wasn't confined to the ringside. To lower the stocking rate in the canteen, some tables and chairs were relocated to the upstairs corridor between the rings.
There were a number of stations set up throughout the building which enabled patrons to disinfect their hands.
Normally, an area that just has passersby was where farmers who couldn't get into the rings gathered to look down on the rings through windows.
With a limit on the number of farmers able to access the ringside at Skibbereen Mart, farmers found other ways to keep an eye on trade.
Although there was a maximum of 100 people permitted into each ring, it rarely came anywhere near that number, with 50 to 80 the standard at any one time.
People who were unaware of the restrictions were a little put out, but understood. Among those most disappointed were people who use the mart as a social outlet.
Limiting access to the ring to buyers and sellers meant that numbers ringside varied from 50 to 80 people at any one time.
Whether we like it or not, this is how marts will be operating for the foreseeable future, if they'll be permitted to remain open.
Manager Tom McCarthy said: "It's a very worrying time and everybody has to play their part in trying to keep effects of this virus as minimal as possible.
"This is the busiest time of year for marts and if everybody co-operates and works with us, we're only doing our best to keep it open.
Skibbereen Mart implemented new measures as part of the effort to contain Covid-19.
"We're asking people, especially the vulnerable, to stay away at the moment. Children are going to have to stay at home. Marts are not crèches," he said.
"Unfortunately, spectators have to be ruled out. In fairness to the farmers today, they understood. We had a good system and it worked well. Everybody realises the situation, it's changing by the hour. Everybody needs to mind themselves. We've worked through worse and we'll work through this."
Reaction
When asked his thoughts on the measures, Ballydehob-based farmer Billy Woulfe said: "They seem sensible. Farmers are very nervous like most people and are taking it seriously.
"For the time being it's ok. If the thing escalates, they might be closed, but with the new restrictions they should help."
Sean Kelleher, a farmer from Newcestown, felt the moves were warranted in the current climate.
He said: "It's a step in the right direction, but I don't know will it do long-term.
"It's serious because of cattle numbers coming out and the time of the year and animal welfare. Cattle will have to move, calves especially.
With restrictions on numbers entering the ringsid,e some farmers made use of the windows over looking the ring in Skibbereen Mart.
"Marts will have to keep going for as long as they can with the Department and everybody’s help," he said.
With the sellers' box being such a close area, it's up to farmers to try and stay back the required two metres from the auctioneers. The auctioneer's perspective changed also.
There was far less eyes on them for a start and they had an extra remit too.
Auctioneer Denis O'Donoghue said: "You've an emptier ring, you have the same number of buyers and farmers were a little bit disappointed that they couldn't see as much selling."
In an effort to minimise numbers in the ring, auctioneer Denis O'Donoghue asked sellers to leave the area once they had sold their stock.
Part of the auctioneer's job with the new measures in place included asking farmers to leave if they had their selling complete. This was to ensure ringside numbers remained low.
"We politely asked them to head home if they were finished selling. The majority of them said they'd head away home anyway.
"They had their job done and they know if they stay around and if the numbers are too big we might end up getting shut down. You don’t want to see that happen with the amount of calves around at the moment," said Denis.
In a tweet on Friday, Cork Marts encouraged farmers not to panic-sell stock.
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