Farmers ‘losing out across all grades’

FARMERS losing out since the beef quality payment system (QPS) price grid was introduced are those selling very fat animals of all grades, such as fat grades four plus and five, according to Teagasc director of research Dr Frank O’Mara.

“They are losing across virtually all grades, even though there is a temporary reprieve until later this year on some of the grade four plus animals,” he told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. But he said he was confident that the QPS is cost-neutral or better for farmers. “The other factor that would leave the grid significantly better is that the better grades that are benefiting from the grid have higher carcase weights than the poorer grades.”

“U grades would have a heavier carcase weight than R grades, which are heavier than O grades, which are heavier than P grades.”