Coronavirus: Gunnedah Saleyards open for stock agents, buyers only

The Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association Ltd (ALPA) has announced that in line with health guidelines about the COVID-19 pandemic, only agents and buyers should attend cattle sales.

Distancing will be put in place for attendees, too.

"ALPA requests that at all livestock markets prior to the commencement of the sale the auctioneer makes a clear and precise statement to all attendees to consider the health and safety of others by maintaining at least 1.5m distance from others, that there be no handshaking and that proper hygienic practices be adopted," ALPA's statement on Facebook read.

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Gunnedah stock agent Guy Gallen said vendors were also being asked to stay away, but a book would be used to note peoples attendance if they must come.

"We will have a form there if anyone wants to come down the lane to sign so we can keep track of who's been there," Mr Gallen said.

Mr Gallen said if the situation escalated, online sales might become more popular.

"It'll put the focus on online marketing without a doubt. We are very lucky that it rained when it did and there's not the urgency to sell stock as what there was before Christmas, so we can sort of sit back and say 'we don't have to sell this week' like we did during the drought," he said.

"If we can adhere to the advice we've been given, I don't see the saleyards closing down and I think we could keep going, but everyone's got to not be silly."

Gunnedah farmer and grazier Geoffrey Barker said if the norm was online sales, it could "make life a bit difficult".

"I hope they don't close it down, because it'll cause a lot of problems," Mr Barker said.

"The [online] systems would adapt to it after a while but it'd be a bit of a shemozzle to start with.

"People with smaller lots can send a load into the saleyards, like a few cows, steers and heifers, but if you're sending direct to Woolworths you can't do that, you have to have the one line and have a truck to send them to Scone or Tamworth."