Poor finishing conditions hit carcass quality
An increasing number of prime cattle are being under-finished in Northern Ireland, with the poor weather and high concentrate prices to blame.
Although the proportion of steers, heifers and young bulls slaughtered between May and October was the same as last year, an increasing number were under-finished.
According to the Meat and Livestock Commission, the proportion of prime carcasses scoring a one or two for fat cover increased by one percentage point, to 25.4%. Those scoring a three increased from 47.3% to 49%, with fours and fives dropping from 28.2% to 25.7%.
Dairy- and beef-bred stock were showing the same trend, with the changes even more pronounced over the three months to October. Only 20.9% of prime cattle scored a perfect four, compared to 26.7% last year.
“In many cases the major meat plants require a fat cover of three or four,” said the LMC report. “Under-finished cattle attract a lower price as well as having a lower kill out percentage. Given the weather conditions and high feed costs, price incentives must be optimal to reward farmers for finishing cattle to specification where this is a priority for the processor.”
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