No excuses for a two tier market insists NFU Cymru

There can be no justification for any continuation of price discrimination against older cattle, following the lifting of the age limit at which vertebral column must be removed from beef carcasses from 24 to 30 months, says NFU Cymru.

BSE control measures brought in nearly two years ago, setting the age limit at 24 months, imposed huge additional processing costs of up to £150 per carcase on beef from older animals. Those costs were passed on to farmers through lower prices, whilst the rule also affected supplies of traditional bone-in cuts like rib and T-bone steak to customers.

Spinal column removed from cattle slaughtered between 24 and 30 months had to be treated and disposed of as Specified Risk Material (SRM), the highest category of animal by-products leading to many processors and butchers refusing to purchase the carcase.

NFU Cymru's target now is to scrap age discrimination altogether, so as to remove the remaining disincentive to slow-grown, grass-fed, older beef, which has hit traditional breeds such as the Welsh Black, particularly hard.

NFU Cymru Livestock Board Chairman Ed Rees said, "This is good news as the legislation caused an unnecessary two-tier market for different aged cattle. "It also imposed huge costs on processors and butchers whilst reducing the supply of bone-in cuts to customers.

"The later maturing cattle breeds which fit into the 24 to 30 month age range were heavily discounted at farm gate as the controls imposed greater cost burdens in the supply chain. This latest decision proves there was no justification for the regulation in the first place.