Breen demands action on scales

AGRICULTURE and Food Minister Mary Coughlan has been urged to ensure that facilities are provided for farmers to clearly view weighing scales in meat processing plants.

Clare Fine Gael TD Pat Breen, who suggested the move, said these facilities should be provided under the Government’s €50 million capital investment scheme for meat factories.

In a written reply, Ms Coughlan said officials of her department carry out regular inspections of meat plants to ensure weighing equipment is operating efficiently and weighing procedures are carried out correctly and consistently.

In some meat plants, farmers have a clear view of the scales readout, where plants install a special viewing area for this purpose. In some instances, however, it might not be practical for the meat plant to install a viewing area because of building design.

ICMSA Beef and Cattle Committee chairman Martin McMahon called earlier this year for the weighing scales used in meat plants to be checked at least twice yearly by the Legal Metrology Service.

He said farmers would be shocked to discover weighing scales in some meat plants have not been checked in nearly six years. In the context of a weight-based payment system, it was wholly unacceptable for both the farmers and meat processors that more regular checks were not being carried out.