Farmers losing out on beef grading machines
Beef farmers could be losing up to €168 per head due to the lack of accuracy on mechanical beef grading machines in meat plants across the country.
That’s according to local Deputy Denis Naughten, on foot of figures he obtained on the accuracy of these beef grading machines.
The figures show that Department inspectors have found machines to be out by a factor of at least 10% on 119 occasions over the last 18 months
Deputy Naughten pointed out that the legal tolerance limit set for beef grading machines currently in use in meat plants is a mere 60% accuracy.
Even though the Department inspectors found them to be out by at least 10% on 119 occasions, on only eight occasions was mechanical grading suspended because the machines had to be getting the grades wrong on four out of every ten cattle.
“The mechanical grading machines in use in beef plants across the country today were first trialled and tested 20 years ago by Teagasc,” said the Roscommon/Galway TD.
“At that time google was just invented and people needed an encyclopaedia if we wanted to look something up.
“Technology has changed a lot in 20 years and we now need new hi-tech beef grading machines and new modern rules to operate them so they can accurately reflect the actual grade of the animal. These new rules then need to be properly enforced by Departmental officials to ensure that farmers will not be exploited,” he added.
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