Mart ‘no-go areas’ as insurance costs spiral

Expensive injury claims are driving up the cost of insurance for marts, who are taking action.

Darren Carty

28 February 2018

Mart ‘no-go areas’ as insurance costs spiral

Farmers and the general public are to have access to the mart lairage restricted in an effort to reduce risk and curtail insurance costs.

Spiralling insurance costs are prompting marts to make major changes to where farmers can go and how animals are handled on sale days.A new eight-point plan from FBD is being implemented by some marts on a voluntary basis in an effort to reduce both the risks and their insurance premiums.

Spiralling insurance costs are prompting marts to make major changes to where farmers can go and how animals are handled on sale days.

A new eight-point plan from FBD is being implemented by some marts on a voluntary basis in an effort to reduce both the risks and their insurance premiums.

The core elements of the eight-point plan include restricting access to members of the public (including farmers) beyond the loading/unloading bay.

Loading and unloading of animals is to be carried out or supervised by mart staff.

Movement of stock within the mart would be carried out only by trained mart staff who would also be readily visible by wearing mart identification jackets.

Catwalks or designated livestock viewing areas would replace the current system where farmers can walk through lairage areas.

Signage will be erected to clearly identify no-go areas for farmers and other non-staff members.

The rising cost of securing insurance is seen as one of the greatest threats to the future of many livestock marts.

In some cases, premiums have doubled and are now north of €50,000 annually for large facilities with high throughput. For marts that have had to pay out on big personal injury claims, this can be as high as €60,000 to €100,000.

The cost of insurance has been well documented and Ray Doyle of ICOS told the Irish Farmers Journal that marts have been working proactively to come up with solutions.

“We cannot ignore that the mart environment is changing. There is an aging profile of farmers and herd dynamics are also changing, with some suckler-bred cattle harder to handle.

Health and safety

“ICOS is committed to the health and safety of all mart visitors and realises that there may be a need to evolve safety procedures while still maintaining the robust transparent auction system that marts provide.”

Doyle added: “All livestock marts need to embrace these changes as the current system which allows almost unrestricted access by members of the public to livestock is simply not safe.

“In order for marts to reduce their insurance bills we need to reduce claims and to succeed in that we need to reduce the interaction of livestock with members of the public.”

ices anywhere from €5 to €400

Calf trade: prices anywhere from €5 to €400

Ban on sticks and trading of young calves

Tighter movement rules to hit cattle