NI cattle carcasses are required to be dressed to the 'Old EU Spec' which prevents any trimming of the carcass prior to weighing. Great Britain (GB) have however over the last number of years been operating to a 'New EU Spec' in which the bed fat and brisket fat are trimmed from the carcass prior to weighing. The prices paid/reported are adjusted by a co-efficient which may compensate for the extra trim of the carcass. Although the European Commission has been refusing approval for the New EU spec there are signs now that this could change.
To gain a full understanding of the New EU Spec and to look at how it operates in practice, the UFU Beef and Lamb Committee recently attended a demonstration organized by the Northern Ireland Meat Exporters Association (NIMEA). Following the demonstration the Committee raised a number of concerns over the spec and concluded that it would offer no benefit to the producer.
UFU Beef and Lamb Committee Chairman, William Taylor said, 'This new spec would only be to the detriment of the farmer. We already have concerns over the misuse of the current dressing spec. The New EU Spec would only add to these problems and would be almost impossible to regulate and police'.
Mr Taylor added, 'Any moves towards implementing the New EU Spec must have industry agreement and at the present time the UFU are totally opposed to it.'
The Beef and Lamb Committee have also been paying close attention to current market prices and continue to be frustrated at the price gap between NI and GB for both beef and lamb.
The UFU have and will continue to highlight to the NI red meat plants that there is no justification for current differential which has opened up considerably in the past number of months.
The UFU would encourage producers to continue to market their livestock strongly and consider all their options. Current market conditions continue to look favorable towards producers as supplies remain tight right across Europe.