A beginners’ guide to auctions
Auctions present an easy option for farmers who have surplus animals to sell or have no agreements with buyers. They also give a true reflection of what the market is willing to pay at any given time, and money and animal transfers are done on the same day.
Animals can be sold at a private or public auction, with the number of animals involved and the value of the animals being the main determinant of where they should be sold.
Cornel Landman, owner of Karoo Lusern, regularly buys and sells animals at auctions in the Klein Karoo.
“I buy most of the livestock we finish in our feedlots directly from farmers. But I still go to auctions at least twice a month to get a feel for the market, network with buyers and sellers, and support the local farming industry by purchasing livestock from smallholder farmers. Their only means of selling livestock is at auctions.
“When auction volumes are low, the auctioneers often ask me to supply the auction with additional animals to increase auction numbers, which I happily do if my livestock numbers
