The Rural Voice, 1978-12, Page 19Rural news in brief
Feeder cattle sell by video
Modern technology has come to the
auction barn.
Recently almost S200,000,000 worth of
feeder beef cattle were sold by a video tape
at the Tri -County Sales Barns near
Hanover.
This was Canada's first video auction
sale of feedercattle, and it was operated by
the Ontario Beef Exchange Ltd. (OBEX), a
company owned and operated by six Bruce
County beef producers.
Instead of cattle sellers bringing in their
animals on the hoof to the sales barn, all
they had to bring was a small video
cassette.
During the three hour sale bath cattle
buyers and sellers focused their attention
on two black video tape boxes instead of on
live cattle in a livestockarena.
The cattle were filmed by OBEX at the
farm gate and the boxes showed the video
tape on two one -metre high screens on the
wall.
The sale was officially opened by
William Stewart, Ontario's former agri-
culture minister.
Took nerve
Mr. Stewarts said afterwards, "You have
to admit, it took nerve," referring to the
fact farmers in the past have traditionally
thoroughly examined an animal before
purchasing it.
During the sale, 2,897 feeder steers and
heifers, weighing an average of 900 pounds
were marketed, while an audience of 700
people watched.
The auctioneers who handled the
unique sale were Hugh Filson of Denfield
and George Ribey of Underword.
A total of 40 lots were sold by the two
men, without the noise and the odour of
cattle being chased around the sale ring.
The beef exchange claims the viewing of
cattle on video tape reduces travelling
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stress on animals, the possibility of picking
up diseases and shipping costs to the
owners.
Also, the owner can refuse the highest
bid, since his cattle are still safely at home
on the farm and he hasn't had the expense
of transporting them to the sales barn.
The OBEX firm does it work for a
commission of the total selling price. The
firm includes Ernest Ackert, Ron Wolfe,
Bill Wolfe, Williard Calhoun, Harvey Davis
and Clarence Ackert - all beef farmers
themselves.
Similar video tape stocker sales have
been run in the United States but this is the
first time sale of this kind has been held in
Canada.
Not much for farmers
in budget: Hannam
Peter Hannam, president of the OFA'
doesn't see many advantages for the
farming community in the federal budget.
Mr. Hannam was quoted as saying,
"Again the government is trying to make
food prices the whipping boy for all
1
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Phone 482-7150
THE RURAL VOICE/DECEMBER 1978 PG. 19