U-grades in prime-cattle kill fall to 12% in the North

U-GRADES in the prime cattle kill in Northern Ireland have fallen from 20% in the five weeks before the introduction of mechanical grading last March to 12% in the five weeks after.

In April 2010, 22% of prime cattle carcases were U grades.

Meanwhile, P grades in the five weeks after the start of mechanical grading increased to 12% of prime cattle, compared with 6% in the previous five-week period, and 3% in April last year.