The new grading system for pigs introduced by Rosderra has caused anger among farmers and sets unattainable standards, pig farmers have claimed.

Rosderra wrote to suppliers recently informing them of the rollout of a new system for pigs going to the factory from Monday 10 November.

Farmers will no longer be paid a flat-rate for their pigs. Price penalties will be applied for animals that don’t weigh 80 to 94.99kg, as well as those with less than 60% lean meat.

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Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Kildare-based pig farmer Roy Gallie said a bonus is needed for achieving the desired weight and the percentage of lean meat now required is “impossible”.

“You’ll get a proportion of your pigs to that sweet spot, but it’s a bell curve. What they’re trying to do is get the best bell curve we’ve got, but doing it with a penalty is not the right way.

“If they brought it in with a bonus, the psychology would be completely the opposite. Set a base price and then say you’re getting a bonus for achieving this.

“That’s how you bring people alongside you. Not slap on penalties all over the place,” he said.

Gallie calc ulated the impact the new rules would hypothetically have had on the pigs he sent to the factory last week.

One-third would have received a penalty for being overweight, while they averaged 52% lean meat. This, Gallie stated, would put his return below the breakeven cost of production.

Penalties

While there should be an onus on pig farmers to send the “right type” of pig to the factory, he said “this smells of a method by which they are going to reduce the price of pigs”.

Under the changes, farmers with pigs that kill out at 80 to 94.99kg will receive base price, with no penalties applied.

However, a penalty of 80c/kg will be deducted from pigs over 130kg while pigs under 70kg will be cut by 40c/kg.

The price for pigs over 75kg and under 99.9kg will receive the lowest penalty of 5c/kg.

Deductions of 2.5c/kg will apply to pigs that have 59% or less lean meat.

Mallow-based pig farmer Tom Sherman said the grading changes are “a list of penalties”.

“That’s the best way to describe it. I thought we were going away from the grading side of it.

“When I look at this I think it’s designed to take money out of farmers’ pockets rather than put it back into them,” he added.

Tom Hogan from Limerick described the changes as old fashioned and something that hasn’t been in place in Ireland since the 1970s.

This comes as another blow to farmers as a 4c/kg price cut was announced by processors on Friday 17 October.

Pig price has dropped by 40c/kg since the end of July.