The new in-spec payment bonus: what it looks like

Green area: An in-spec payment of €0.20 will be made on heifers and steers grading within the green shaded area on the existing quality-based pricing grid.

To obtain this bonus, steers and heifers under 30 months also need to be from a quality-assured holding with a residency period of at least 60 days on the last farm.

The residency period remains at 70 days on a quality-assured farm but 10 days of this may have been spent on another quality-assured farm. Animals must have also had four or fewer farm residencies.

Red area: An in-spec bonus payment of €0.12 will be paid on cattle grading 0 - or 4 = meeting all other in-spec criteria on movements, residency and quality-assured status.

Inside the black line: Steers and heifers grading O= to U+ on conformation or 2+ to 4= on fat (green shaded area) within the 30-36 month age bracket will now qualify for an €0.08 bonus once they meet all other in-spec criteria such as residency, movements and quality-assured status.

Other bonuses such as breed bonuses, producer group bonuses and contract bonuses will be agreed between individual producer groups, farmers and factories. There are no weight restrictions on the bonus and if factories wish to impose weight restrictions they must give four months’ notice.

The above in-spec bonus is on top of the Quality Payment System (QPS) bonus payments or deductions made depending on the grade and fat score of the animal slaughtered. Under-16-month bulls are not included in the new agreement and bulls slaughtered on the QPS grid will continue to be paid the €0.12 in-spec bonus.

Charolais steer

At a base price of €3.50, a 400kg under-30-month Charolais steer grading U= 3+ meeting all the in-spec criteria on movements, residency and quality assured (QA) status will be paid as follows:

Hereford X heifer

At a base of €3.55, a 330kg under-30-month Hereford X heifer grading R+ 4-, in Hereford Prime and meeting all criteria on movements, residency and QA will be paid as follows:

Limousin steer

At a base price of €3.50/kg, a 400kg 32-month Limousin steer grading R= 4- meeting all other in-spec criteria on movements, residency and QA status will be paid as follows:

Simmental steer

At a base price of €3.50/kg, a 380kg 28-month-old Simmental steer grading O- 4+ meeting all other in-spec criteria on movements, residency and QA status will be paid as follows: