Then he added live auctions. Zaitz moves 15,000 head of swine and 5,000 head of cattle per week. We had a difficult time proving to the industry that this would work,'' he says. Pig farmer Lawinger doesn't need more proof. Pigs are highly susceptible to several diseases, and, by selling and shipping directly to buyers, Lawinger can keep his hogs away from potentially infectious animals in traditional auction pens.
Livestock is just a small slice of the agriculture products being peddled online.
Buyers and sellers must register, providing banking information, regulatory-licensing data, and a shipping address. When a purchase is made, XSAg's bank, Bank of America Corp., automatically pulls the funds from the buyer's account and puts them in escrow. A freight company is dispatched to pick up and deliver the goods. The buyer has 48 hours to inspect the product. At XSAg, sellers have the option of remaining anonymous during the entire transaction.