Department staff to leave factories

THE withdrawal of Department of Agriculture and Food cattle grading staff from meat factories will go ahead at the end of this week in accordance with an agreed deadline relating to the introduction of mechanical grading, the department confirmed yesterday.

Progress on installing the grading machines in 24 plants has been reported by the industry, but the system is not expected to be fully in place until later in the year.

Factory staff have been trained by the department to grade cattle as it prepares to withdraw its own personnel from the various meat plants.