Straight Furrow will be bringing Beef Expo to your home computer, by giving you access to the live broadcast online.

Beef Expo event manager Mark Stevens said it would be the first time the expo had been streamed live online.

The idea to broadcast online came from the popularity of the Beef Expo website.

After the sale catalogue and results were posted online in previous years, the

website was averaging 1000 hits per minute at its peak.

“People are really keen to see what’s going on, most people know a beef stud breeder in their district that is participating in the Expo in some way and are keen to follow how they get on.”

A webcam will be set up in the sale ring and as the sale lots come through, those watching online will be able to see the auctioneer taking bids and hear the live broadcast.

The link to the live broadcast will be posted on straightfurrow.co.nz along with two other links: one to the Beef Expo programme and one to the catalogue and sale results, which will be available after each of the breed sales over the three days.

For a good clear picture viewers will need a broadband connection, but those viewers on dial-up will still be able to listen to the live action.

“There’s no better way to see the cattle than in the flesh, but this will be a really good option for those people that can’t make it to the sale to see the auction process,” said Mr Stevens.

“Commercial buyers that might be looking to buy next year will also get an idea of the quality of bulls that turn up at Beef Expo.”

Watching the expo would also give buyers a benchmark of what they could expect to pay at on-farm and private treaty sales, he said.

Straight Furrow livestock manager David Banham said NZ Rural Press saw the live broadcast as an ideal opportunity to enhance the value of its sponsorship of the Beef Expo.

“When hearing of the interest shown in the sale results over recent years, it made perfect sense to go the next step and arrange a live feed of the various breed auctions and we were happy to be able to help facilitate the arrangements.”

bsavage@clear .net.nz