Fewer cattle making top grades

Marts: Cattle classification figures for the first half of the year show the decline in the percentage of cattle qualifying for the higher grades has continued, with a corresponding increase in cattle numbers in the poorer grades.

Results for the bullock kill at the export plants for 2006 compared with the same period in 2004 show a decline of 14% in R-grade animals, with O-grade animals increasing by the same amount.

The biggest increase has been in P-grade bullocks, which was 16% higher than for the first half of 2004.