01-07-2025
Live weighing of cattle in beef factories ‘brushed under carpet'
The Irish Beef Sector Agreement, which followed the 2019 beef protests, states that 'lairage weighing services will be provided on request, which may incur a nominal charge'.
However, none of the farm organisations contacted by the Farming Independent are aware of any processor currently offering this service, while the IBLA (Irish Beef and Lamb Association) claimed its 'members have required live weighing in lairages but have been told that their plant doesn't provide this service'.
Corley said: 'I've never seen it rolled out in any factory, but over the years, there have been a number of requests as to why this wasn't implemented.
'Our understanding was that it would be implemented, but like that, a lot of things were supposed to happen since 2019. In general, not a whole lot has improved from the power situations that factories had at the time of the agreement to what they have now. There hasn't been a whole lot of improvement or transparency.'
He said, 'there is very little transparency once cattle leave farmers for the factory', but live weighing would 'help keep factories in check' and leave farmers 'better equipped to make calculations'.
'Having an animal's live weight could be a useful tool for farmers, especially to compare kill-out percentages between factories.'
KO percentage is the carcass weight expressed as a percentage of the animal's liveweight. It is influenced by several factors, including genetics, sex, feeding system, carcass weight and conformation (cattle in Ireland are graded under the EUROP system).
Industry estimates suggest that cows generally have the lowest KO%, typically ranging from 46-58pc. Bulls tend to have the highest (50-64pc), while steers range from 48-60pc and heifers from 48-59pc. Across all categories, better conformation usually results in higher KO%.
Corley said: 'For example, if one group of bullocks killed out at 58pc in one factory, and a similar group killed out at 54pc in another, farmers could legitimately question the difference.
'Farmers would have a suspicion about factories and the amount of trim. I am sure factories could put a live weighing scales on the main crush.'
ICSA beef chair John Cleary said its members would see live weighing as a 'very positive step forward' in providing up-to-date information, especially in the area of kill-out percentages.
'Farmers would benefit hugely from extra relevant feedback from processors to better their business,' he said.
The IBLA said: 'The service has not been found to have been made available to its members or beef producers in general.
'Without a forum in place, there is no reporting to confirm if the weighing facilities have been provided.'
'Suppliers are entitled to the choice, and meat processing factories must honour the Irish Beef Sector Agreement. IBLA has written to the minister to query why Irish meat processing companies had not complied with certain conditions of the agreement.'
ICMSA livestock committee chair Michael O'Connell said it is not an issue being brought up by members, but rather grading and the Quality Payment Scheme, which has been 'proved to be biased against dairy beef cattle'.
'ICMSA believes that there are much more important issues requiring attention, particularly the long-overdue reform of the beef price grid.'
