A new quality assurance scheme for beef and lamb has been launched with the aim of boosting the reputation of Irish meat while being more farmer-friendly.

It has a new four-week close-out period for correcting faults found on audit. A dedicated helpdesk will help farmers pass audits.

But the scheme is bigger, now guaranteeing sustainability of meat production as well as quality assurance.

Farmers will have to provide more information for farm audits. Those who do not prepare in advance could see audits taking longer than before.

The audit can be done in 90 minutes if you prepare in advance, Bord Bia says.

Bord Bia claims that adding sustainability to the scheme gives Irish meat an edge over competitors on international markets.

Listen to "All about the new Bord Bia beef and lamb QAS" on Spreaker.

The Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS) opens this month.

As the 50,000 farmers in the outgoing QA scheme fall due for 18-month re-audit they will automatically enter the new scheme. All will have moved over by 18 months from now.

Being quality assured will still not guarantee quality bonuses on cattle and lambs.

Export plants will continue to impose additional conditions such as weight and movement limits relevant to specific premium markets.

IFA president Joe Healy said the new scheme must be deliver better prices for beef and lamb to farmers. “The real measure of its success will be where Irish prices are in comparison to other countries.”

It must also be more farmer friendly, he said.

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