A number of local marts are now providing information on cattle residencies for individual cattle at the point of sale, but have indicated that they have increased buyer commission on cattle from £2 per head to £4 per head to cover the increased administration cost.
With no immediate prospect of an upgrade to APHIS that would allow this information to be easily accessed by the marts, those who are providing the information have no option but to go through individual animal records. It is a significant logistical task.
In the marts last week where the information was made available, reports suggest that cattle with more than four farm residencies were taking a significant hit in price. According to one source, these cattle were proving good value for money for a farmer who was taking them to England for finishing. Given that there is no formal link between APHIS and the cattle passport system used in Britain, by the time the cattle get to England, there is no longer an issue over residencies.
Farmers here who take cattle with more than four farm residencies to one of the main meat plants face deductions that range from £80 per head at one plant to between 24p/kg and 30p/kg at others. According to buyers, the numbers of cattle coming forward with more than four residencies are generally only between 1% and 3% of the weekly kill, although one plant (penalising £80 per head) indicated that up to 8% of their kill had more than four residencies.
As yet, no one has indicated that the current penalties applied might be reduced. This is despite the recent ‘‘agreement’’ brokered by the Livestock and Meat Commission, which involved the marts providing the information on residencies on the understanding that meat plants would relax penalties until the end of the year.
In a statement last week, Ulster Farmers Union president Ian Marshall called on the factories to honour this commitment. “We would ask that all processors stand by their commitments to resolve this dilemma and act sympathetically with regard to penalties,” he said.
However, according to Joe Parker from the SDA Group, there is yet to be any sympathy shown towards farmers on the issue. “I have heard of no sympathetic view whatsoever,” he said.
Sources in the meat trade maintain that it will be left to individual farmers to negotiate with factories on what level of penalties might be applied to the end of the year. There are differences across factories and producers should shop around.
Meanwhile, with numbers tighter in Britain, and beef prices on the rise (335p/kg to 345p/kg is widely available for R4s in England), there are reports that NI agents for English and Scottish factories are increasingly keen to take NI cattle to Britain for slaughter. The trade had virtually stopped earlier this year once supply went ahead of demand in Britain, forcing NI cattle out of the market.
Greening advice
DARD has organised three seminars aimed at farmers who anticipate that they will have to comply with crop diversification and ecological focus area requirements linked to greening under the next CAP. The seminars will outline what is known so far and what greening will mean in practical terms.
Tuesday 16 September, 8pm: Greenmount CAFRE Campus, Antrim.Wednesday 17 September, 8pm: Roe Park Resort, Limavady. Thursday 18 September, 8pm: Millbrook Lodge Hotel, Ballynahinch. Further information on the greening requirements and the exemptions that may apply are available on the DARD website at: http://www.dardni.gov.uk/count down-to-cap.htm
A dedicated email address has been set up for queries on greening: greeninghelpline@dardni.gov.uk
UGS farm walk
The organic beef farm of John and Jonathan Carson, Downpatrick, will host a visit organised by the Ulster Grassland Society (UGS) on Tuesday 16 September, starting at 5.45pm.
The visit will feature how a clover-based grassland system has been developed to sustain a suckler cow and beef finishing enterprise. The cost is £10 for members and £15 for non-members. To book your place, please contact UGS secretary George Reid on 07920 037 910.
Renewable energy
The annual Practical On-farm Renewable Energy event will be held on Tuesday 28 October at Greenmount Campus.
Anyone interested in exhibiting in the trade stand area should contact Cathal Ellis by email at cathal.ellis
@dardni.gov.uk or telephone 028 9442 6793. The event will run from 11am until 8.30pm. Contact David Trimble at
028 9442 6682 or email david.
trimble@dardni.gov.uk.
A number of local marts are now providing information on cattle residencies for individual cattle at the point of sale, but have indicated that they have increased buyer commission on cattle from £2 per head to £4 per head to cover the increased administration cost.
With no immediate prospect of an upgrade to APHIS that would allow this information to be easily accessed by the marts, those who are providing the information have no option but to go through individual animal records. It is a significant logistical task.
In the marts last week where the information was made available, reports suggest that cattle with more than four farm residencies were taking a significant hit in price. According to one source, these cattle were proving good value for money for a farmer who was taking them to England for finishing. Given that there is no formal link between APHIS and the cattle passport system used in Britain, by the time the cattle get to England, there is no longer an issue over residencies.
Farmers here who take cattle with more than four farm residencies to one of the main meat plants face deductions that range from £80 per head at one plant to between 24p/kg and 30p/kg at others. According to buyers, the numbers of cattle coming forward with more than four residencies are generally only between 1% and 3% of the weekly kill, although one plant (penalising £80 per head) indicated that up to 8% of their kill had more than four residencies.
As yet, no one has indicated that the current penalties applied might be reduced. This is despite the recent ‘‘agreement’’ brokered by the Livestock and Meat Commission, which involved the marts providing the information on residencies on the understanding that meat plants would relax penalties until the end of the year.
In a statement last week, Ulster Farmers Union president Ian Marshall called on the factories to honour this commitment. “We would ask that all processors stand by their commitments to resolve this dilemma and act sympathetically with regard to penalties,” he said.
However, according to Joe Parker from the SDA Group, there is yet to be any sympathy shown towards farmers on the issue. “I have heard of no sympathetic view whatsoever,” he said.
Sources in the meat trade maintain that it will be left to individual farmers to negotiate with factories on what level of penalties might be applied to the end of the year. There are differences across factories and producers should shop around.
Meanwhile, with numbers tighter in Britain, and beef prices on the rise (335p/kg to 345p/kg is widely available for R4s in England), there are reports that NI agents for English and Scottish factories are increasingly keen to take NI cattle to Britain for slaughter. The trade had virtually stopped earlier this year once supply went ahead of demand in Britain, forcing NI cattle out of the market.
Greening advice
DARD has organised three seminars aimed at farmers who anticipate that they will have to comply with crop diversification and ecological focus area requirements linked to greening under the next CAP. The seminars will outline what is known so far and what greening will mean in practical terms.
Tuesday 16 September, 8pm: Greenmount CAFRE Campus, Antrim.Wednesday 17 September, 8pm: Roe Park Resort, Limavady. Thursday 18 September, 8pm: Millbrook Lodge Hotel, Ballynahinch. Further information on the greening requirements and the exemptions that may apply are available on the DARD website at: http://www.dardni.gov.uk/count down-to-cap.htm
A dedicated email address has been set up for queries on greening: greeninghelpline@dardni.gov.uk
UGS farm walk
The organic beef farm of John and Jonathan Carson, Downpatrick, will host a visit organised by the Ulster Grassland Society (UGS) on Tuesday 16 September, starting at 5.45pm.
The visit will feature how a clover-based grassland system has been developed to sustain a suckler cow and beef finishing enterprise. The cost is £10 for members and £15 for non-members. To book your place, please contact UGS secretary George Reid on 07920 037 910.
Renewable energy
The annual Practical On-farm Renewable Energy event will be held on Tuesday 28 October at Greenmount Campus.
Anyone interested in exhibiting in the trade stand area should contact Cathal Ellis by email at cathal.ellis
@dardni.gov.uk or telephone 028 9442 6793. The event will run from 11am until 8.30pm. Contact David Trimble at
028 9442 6682 or email david.
trimble@dardni.gov.uk.
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