15 September 2023
By: Joy January
One of the pioneers of online livestock trading in South Africa, SwiftVEE, has introduced a platform, SwiftVERE, where users can buy and sell birds and poultry.
JP Swart, head of agriculture business at SwiftVEE, told African Farming many traders of birds and poultry had started using WhatsApp groups or local auction houses to sell their stock.
“We saw this gap and established SwiftVERE. Since its inception, this platform has grown exponentially, which makes us look forward to the future,” he says.
A drawback of sales on WhatsApp groups is that each group has a limited number of members. WhatsApp also causes problems because it does not support real-time auctions and webcasts.
Swart said creating and hosting online auctions involves a lot of administration, and the platform can assist farmers with it. “We have started building relationships to get more people involved in the platform.”
Russel Luck, CEO of SwiftVEE, says the new platform is focused on an underserved segment in the agricultural industry. “Buyers and sellers of birds and poultry often do not have large marketing budgets. SwiftVERE addresses this issue by providing a specialist marketplace where stakeholders can sell their birds and poultry online.”
Trends in the poultry industry that stand out
According to Swart, the poultry industry is moving away from larger chickens to smaller ones, such as Bantams. “It’s easier to maintain the smaller chickens. You can keep them in town and they are cost-effective.” Interest in waterfowl is also increasing. “The demand for new colour variants is also notable.”
Online auctions are the future
Overseas, says Swart, more than 70% of birds and poultry are sold in online auctions. “We see this trend in America, Australia, England and Europe. In South Africa, online auctions are becoming more popular because we provide technical knowledge and technical support, such as a breed adviser who can make recommendations.”
Demand is high for birds from abroad, says Swart, and he believes the platform makes it easy for people to buy quickly and efficiently from anywhere. He also emphasises the importance of good marketing in preparation for online auctions.
“Farmers are focusing more on their marketing with video material and photos. Buyers want to see a photo or video of the bird they are interested in. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, people would inspect the birds at auctions.”
Luck encourages clubs and associations to get in touch and find out more about how they can host their bird or poultry auctions on SwiftVERE. “The cost of hosting your own bird or poultry auction is negligible. The platform is suitable for anyone who wants to use a digital environment to expand their buyer and seller network.
“We hope that lightning will strike twice after the success we have achieved by making the buying and selling of livestock online possible. Judging by the interest we have received so far and the growth in booking requests coming in, we are quietly confident that SwiftVERE will have the same positive impact on the bird and poultry market.”
Inquiries:
JP Swart, jp@swiftvee.com Website: www.swiftvee.com
