A clampdown on presentation of sheep for slaughter is beginning. Suppliers to a midland slaughter plant have received notification stating the Department of Agriculture has started a major clampdown on the presentation of lambs pre-slaughter. It said that dirty sheep will have to be clipped at the farmer’s expense, with penalties for dirty sheep at the factory. Another plant in the west has started informing its producers that “new, stricter controls on the presentation of sheep will apply in the future”.

While a clean cattle and sheep policy was discussed at the recent beef forum, the only policy in place is the Clean Livestock Policy for cattle in place since 1998. Stakeholders agreed a consultation process to review the current policy and look at expanding the policy to cover sheep.

IFA national sheep chair John Lynskey said it is clear that some meat plants are jumping the gun with talk of severe penalties and Department clampdown.

“The Department must haul the factories back in and insist the issue is handled in a sensible way which does not involve any cost or charges on farmers. IFA has always promoted good presentation of sheep for slaughter. Producer groups, which were established by IFA, are leaders in this area.”

€2 skin charge rejected

Meanwhile, a reported collapse in skin prices in China has triggered suggestions of a €2/head charge. ICSA sheep chair John Brooks angrily rejected the suggestion as unfair. “Sheep farmers have never been paid for often valuable fifth-quarter elements of which the hide forms a part. The idea that factories could now arbitrarily impose a fee for one part of the fifth quarter is grossly unfair”, he said.