I got very reacquainted with the inside of my car and the back roads of Laois as I ventured to and from the ploughing on Tuesday. Plenty €5 and €8 steaks that looked and tasted more burgerish than steak were on offer but my standout exhibit was the display in Bord Bia of the various sirloin cuts of different weights, grades and fat scores.

My dad was there Thursday and he said it was a far more effective a method of communicating what was required by processors than any factory rep with a microphone.

What's the fear of specs in beef? I tell you one thing it focuses the mind. Imagine dairy farmers looking for a flat rate payment on milk with no bonus for fat and protein or on keeping a low somatic cell count? They'd be laughed at.

The spec for pigs in our local processor is for a 75-90kg carcase. You don't get paid for meat above what's required. It's similar in lamb. Therefore, you don't keep the animal and associated costs on the farm longer than you need to.

Bull beef

We've moved on farm to producing under 16 month bull beef. I accept it's aimed at a commodity market but we know the age and weight range and produce towards it. Surplus heifers are finished off grass at 20 months, so we're very comfortable in being under the 30 month restriction.

On my Nuffield travels, the only places where I saw cattle needing to be held to three years for finishing on grass were tropical Queensland and Kenya. The climate is difficult in those places and grass isn't as abundantly available as it is here.

Carcase weights

According to the Bord Bia stand, the strongest demand is for carcasses from 280kg to 380kg. These are unachievable limits according to some beef farmers. I found the below table in my college notes last week and together with Nathan Tuffy’s article yesterday, they show that only once in the last 20 years has the average steer carcase in Ireland been over 380kg.

Every farmer has an individual choice if they wish to associate with a breed but every dog has its day. Look at the changes in mainstream dairy breeds over time; Shorthorn to British Friesian to Holstein to Jersey cross and no doubt it will adapt again if there's a change in market requirements. The same will happen in beef, some will adapt and some will get left behind holding placards demanding a return to the past.

Average Cattle Carcase Weights 1992 - 2002 (kg)

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 (e)
Steers 356 359 359 359 367 352 343 337 338 337 335
Heifers 292 291 290 293 294 288 279 268 265 267 266
Cows 280 276 272 276 284 285 278 279 281 287 285