Producers hitting top grades at slaughter

BEEF producers are getting better at hitting the top grades, with figures from the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board showing that more than half the cattle now going to slaughter coming into the so-called "golden box" of grades.

The improvement comes despite an increased percentage of the cattle being slaughtered being dairy types.

The past decade has shown a continuation of the swing towards leaner cattle with fewer carcases being labelled "fat".

However, the National Beef Association is certain British processors will continue to tighten their specifications. The NBA claims that this will result in an even wider price gap between cattle that conform in origin, age, weight and farm assurance requirements and those that do not.

NBA director Kim Marie Haywood said: "Despite the noticeable improvement in leanness and conformation seen over the past decade, British processors are making more specific demands. These mean there will be even more price encouragement to hit all specifications but there will also be bigger penalties."

"This can be seen in the recent, discount attack on bulls that were more than 16 months old."