Average carcase grades have plummeted by up to 20% in certain factories over the last five years.

Analysis carried out by the Irish Farmers Journal shows that Dawn Meats has seen the biggest decline in steers qualifying for the in-spec quality bonus.

Steer grades at Dawn Ballyhaunis dropped by 12% and the Dawn-owned Meadow Meats in Co Laois saw a massive 20% drop in quality steer grades.

Full analysis: Phelim O'Neill breaks down the figures.

Minimum criteria

Over 50% of the Irish kill now fails to make the minimum in-spec quality bonus criteria.

The influence of poorer-shaped dairy-bred cattle can be seen in regions where there has been significant dairy expansion such as ABP Bandon, where in-spec steer grades fell from 59% to 47% and in-spec heifer grades fell from 70% to 57%.

However, farmers in suckler strongholds in the west of Ireland will be perplexed to see a drop in the number of quality steers at Dawn Ballyhaunis, and the large drop in quality heifers at Foyle Donegal from almost 74% to 58%.

Some factories such as ABP Nenagh and ABP Clones saw an increase in the number of cattle making in-spec quality grades, but overall there was a 4.3% reduction in quality steers and a 2.5% drop in quality heifers since 2014.

Quality of Irish cattle in decline

Quality of carcase grades drop

There is more to the drop in grades than the influence of the dairy sector.