Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed is to publish the names of all factories that illegally trimmed carcases during 2018 and 2016.

The move comes amid growing pressure from farmers to name and shame the factories involved and just hours after the IFA staged a sit-in at the Department of Agriculture in Kildare Street, Dublin.

The protesting farmers had vowed to occupy the building until the Minister published the names of the guilty factories. Following the agreement to publish the names, the IFA sit-in at the Department Agriculture in Kildare Street ended.

In a late night statement issued, Minister Creed said: “My department will publish the names of plants in which on the spot fines have been applied with effect from 1 January 2019.

“I also intend to publish the names of plants in which such fines were levied in 2018 and 2016 before year end, subject to the completion of a number of formalities.”

A total of 19 on-the-spot fines were issued to factories for non-compliance with the EU reference carcase trimming specification.

The Minister also announced further measures on transparency for farmers whose carcases are excessively trimmed.

“From 1 January, meat processors will introduce a payment to the farmer supplier to reflect any loss in each case where my Department applied a trim fine on a particular carcase. Such payment will be identified on the payment remittance docket, so that farmers will be aware of the penalty,” said Minister Creed.

An official talks to members of the IFA, who are sitting in at the Department of Agriculture over the refusal of Minister Creed to name the meat factories found guilty of excessively trimming.

Inspection rate

The Minister released detailed information on the level of carcase inspections.

Some 1.7m animals were slaughtered to December 2018. To date in 2018 there have been 521 inspections across 32 slaughter plants and 44,332 carcasses have been inspected by classification officers.

On average, each factory has been inspected 16 times to date, with an average of 85 carcasses per inspection. The legal requirement is eight inspections per year on only 40 carcasses per inspection.

In 2016, 28 on-the-spot fines were issued for non-compliance with the EU reference carcase trimming specification.

150 extra staff

A new monitoring system where Veterinary Public Health Inspection Service staff will assist staff of the Beef Carcase Classification Unit to provide additional assurance in relation to the regulation of trimming of carcasses by factories has been established.

The new monitoring system is being piloted in a number of factories, with full roll out to all factories planned from 1 January, 2019.

Minister Creed said: “This new system of controls in processing facilities, with 150 personnel specifically trained to provide additional support in carcase classification, has been established to provide farmers with absolute assurance that the appropriate dressing is being applied.”

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