The IFA has called on Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed to upgrade and improve procedures on beef classification, carcase trim and carcase weights at meat plants to ensure that farmers get accurate results.

The comments made by Dr Paul Allen of Teagasc on grading, as revealed by the Irish Farmers Journal, support the case the IFA has made to the Minister and the Department on these issues, livestock chair Angus Woods said.

“The controls and monitoring carried out by the Department on classification, trim and weights have not kept pace with developments at meat processor level in recent years,” he said.

“This has reduced the effectiveness of the current Department verification and checking procedures.”

Concerns

“The IFA has raised concerns around the tolerances with the mechanical classification machines. Also, there have been significant changes in hip hanging and additional trim and dressing procedures,” said Woods.

He added: “I have specifically requested that the Minister instruct his agriculture officers who are working in the meat plants to live-monitor carcase classification, trim and weights on a daily basis.

“The Minister must also establish an independent appeals process for farmers who feel their results are not accurate.”

Accurate

“Farmers rely on the Department to ensure that the machines are working properly at all times and that the results on classification, trim and weights are accurate as they determine the value of animals and the price farmers get paid,” Angus Woods said.

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