Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The point I am making is that a farm is quality assured. The culled cow coming off that farm is meeting the same standards as the 18-month old heifer coming off the farm. The processor buying that culled cow is using the fact the animal is quality assured to help sell the product but the farmer is getting no return for that. There are farms that are quality assured but would have no animals coming off them attracting a premium. That is wrong. Quality assurance was the brainchild of Bord Bia and it has worked very well. I am not questioning the scheme at all, but factories are using the quality assurance, which is what it was brought in for, to promote our beef. However, they are not being genuine with the people who participate in the scheme. I accept that they say that in order to qualify for the top level of premium, the animal must be under 13 months and be graded in a certain grade. However, I refer to the culled cow going out the gate and the farm which is meeting all the standards required and the O minus bullock or the O minus heifer going out the gate, which is what many farmers are producing.

Where a culled cow, or an O minus bull or heifer, which a lot of farms produce, goes out the gate, the farmer is paid nothing for adhering to the standards. If those farmers opted out of the scheme in the morning, it would give processors a very severe headache. They should look at that seriously. We met the representatives of the milk promotion body. They have a lovely glossy brochure, but it did not contain one picture of a black and white cow, yet those cattle are producing more than 50% of our beef. That should be recognised. For example, one sees Aberdeen Angus beef on the shelves and all these standards apply. However, a significant number of Aberdeen Angus cattle that are killed do not qualify for quality assurance. Factories are being short-sighted in their approach. Farmers are brought well into the scheme. While I am not saying there should not be a different level of premium, all animals that come out of a farm should attract some premium. Quality assurance has served the industry well and factories are being short-sighted in failing to incentivise people to adhere to those standards.