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Meat inspection charges and insurance levies on prime cattle have increased at all three ABP-owned processing sites in NI.
At the company’s Newry site, deductions for meat inspection have increased by £2 to £7/carcase, while at the Lurgan plant, they have moved from £4.90 to £7.
The ABP Linden factory in Dungannon has been brought in line with the others, with meat inspection rising just under £2/head to also sit at £7.
To date, ABP is the only processor to apply the higher charges, although sources in other factories have suggested similar cost increases are “inevitable” given the higher charges being imposed for meat inspection work.
That service is undertaken by DAERA veterinary staff on behalf of the Food Standards Agency.
Insurance
ABP has also increased the insurance levy deducted from farmers by a flat rate of 50p across all three sites, taking it to £3.50/head for prime cattle.
The increase is mainly to cover for the fact that factories have reported a sharp rise in the number of cattle condemned post-slaughter as not fit for human consumption, due to bovine TB. In these instances, farmers are still paid the full value by the abattoir.
The alternative, floated by some factory owners, is to scrap insurance and work on the basis of “owners’ risk”. In that scenario, if an animal is condemned, the farmer doesn’t get paid.
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