Livestock weighing systems are under scrutiny as the UFU calls for greater transparency over farmer payments
Small differences in recorded livestock weight can directly affect farm returns, prompting calls for greater transparency across Northern Ireland’s processing sector.
The Ulster Farmers’ Union wants weighing procedures to be robust, consistently applied and clearly explained so producers can have confidence in the figures used to calculate payment.
Farmers across several sectors have raised concerns about commercial weighing systems, particularly where discrepancies could have a financial impact on their businesses.
Greater guidance and opportunities for independent verification are among the measures being proposed to strengthen trust in the system.
UFU deputy president Clement Lynch said producers needed to understand how livestock weights were recorded and how concerns could be challenged.
“Farm businesses need to be able to trust the systems that determine what they are paid,” he said.
“Whether cattle, sheep, pigs or poultry are being weighed, producers should have confidence that equipment is accurate, procedures are transparent and there is a clear process available if a farmer has a genuine concern about a recorded weight.”
Clearer information is also being sought on how weighing equipment is checked and calibrated.
Processors are being urged to explain what information is available to suppliers and what steps can be taken where a farmer believes a recorded weight may be incorrect.
Lynch stressed that the issue was not about accusing individual businesses or sectors of wrongdoing.
“This is not about pointing the finger at any individual business or sector,” he said.
“It is about maintaining confidence throughout the supply chain and ensuring farmers understand the systems and safeguards that determine the weight, and ultimately the value, of what they produce.”
Where payment is linked directly to weight, producers should also be able to see clearly how their returns have been calculated.
Livestock and poultry processors are being encouraged to make weighing procedures easier to understand and ensure queries can be dealt with promptly.
The UFU is also pushing for straightforward mechanisms to examine genuine disputes.
“Where a legitimate concern is raised, farmers need to know there is a straightforward mechanism for that concern to be examined and resolved fairly,” Lynch said.
“A transparent system protects not only the producer but also processor by maintaining confidence in the commercial relationship.”
Stronger guidance, clearer procedures and independent verification are all being put forward as ways of improving confidence across the agri-food supply chain.
Reliable weighing systems are also being presented as an important part of maintaining trust between farmers and processors.
“Northern Ireland’s farmers and processors depend on one another,” Lynch said.
“Strong commercial relationships require trust on both sides, and reliable, transparent weighing systems are an important part of maintaining that trust.”
He added: “The principle is simple. If a farmer’s payment is determined by weight, they must be able to have confidence in that weight. That should be a basic expectation across the entire processing sector.”