SINCE being launched earlier this month, there has been a significant rejection rate against claims made by vendors using online cattle marketing platform AuctionsPlus about bloodlines represented in listings.

AuctionsPlus introduced its new A+ Bloodlines facility in its 10 July weekly sales, designed to reinforce claims around bloodlines included in commercial livestock listings.

In the early stages, depending on the stud involved, between 70pc and 85pc of vendor claims on bloodlines have been accepted, Beef Central was told on Friday by AuctionsPlus. That also means that up to 30pc of claims have been rejected under the new process outlined below.

The new product is designed to give both stud producers and commercial cattle vendors the tools to verify, protect and leverage quality genetics, while giving agents and buyers greater confidence and transparency in every transaction, AuctionsPlus said at the time the product was launched.

A+ Bloodlines was developed over 18 months with input from bull breeders, commercial vendors, agents and buyers across the industry.

The high early rejection rate on vendor claims raises questions about trade practice and product description integrity issues surrounding cattle sold on AuctionsPlus prior to the A+ Bloodlines product launch.

How the tool works

Under the new format, a drop-down bloodline selection can appear in commercial livestock assessments where the feature is raised in an AuctionsPlus listing, replacing the previous ‘free-text’ comment entry about bloodlines that appeared previously.

Studs are notified when their genetics appear in a commercial listing claim, with the ability for studs to verify those genetics claims directly on the AuctionsPlus app. The cattle vendor remains on the approved list until removed by the stud providing the genetics. More than one stud can be listed. Once verified, a small notation appears in the top left of the listing (see example image, flagging use of Te Mania genetics).

A verified bloodline filter is available for AuctionsPlus bidders to use when searching listings, which can also be set as a notification when cattle carrying specific genetics are listed.

At the time of the launch, AuctionsPlus business development manager Hugh Courts said the product delivered value for every participant in the transaction. “Studs gain visibility and influence well beyond their immediate client base, reinforcing the strength of their breeding programs in real market conditions,” he said.

“For buyers, it creates a more informed and trusted purchasing environment, where genetics are verified and clear, and decisions can be made with greater certainty. In a market increasingly driven by data and trust, A+ Bloodlines lifts confidence, competition and, ultimately, value across the entire industry,” Mr Courts said.

In Friday’s A+ weaner and yearling sale (see results in this separate story), the AuctionsPlus website search facility suggests 88 of 238 lots carried a bloodline claim.

As recently as a fortnight before the A+ Bloodlines package was launched, a participant in the Ballarat Feeder Steer MasterClass event in Victoria raised the issue of inaccurate information in bloodline claims on AuctionsPlus cattle listings, citing a case where investigation into a vendor’s claim showed he “had not bought genetics from the claimed stud in 20 years.”