Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has stated the potential introduction of a new grading formula would be a decision for the meat industry to make.

Speaking in response to a parliamentary question from Deputy Denis Naughten, Minister Creed said: “The introduction and roll-out of any classification machine is a commercial decision for industry.

“The function of my Department is to ensure that any such machine complies with the relevant regulatory requirements.”

Locking horns

The IFA and the Minister have locked horns over the suggestion that a new grading equation trialled during a two-year trial in Slaney, could be introduced across all factories.

The IFA insist that results that they’ve seen from the trial “favours factories” over farmers and that the trialling of new equations was made without the knowledge of farm organisations.

However, the Minister asserts that the “calibration process explored the optimum equations to maximise the accuracy of the machine".

Trial

The trial also used new technology including a digital camera in the machine and was carried out on 2,400 carcases and compared against 2,100 carcases.

“A classification expert from the Netherlands independently monitored the two-year trial and produced a detailed report which is currently being reviewed and will be published in the near future on the Department's website.

“The report will include accuracy levels relevant to the new technology,” the minister said.

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IFA and Minister lock horns over grading trial

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