Prime cattle change boost

Apr 24 2008 by The Journal

NORMAL trading for prime cattle across the UK begins on Monday following yesterday’s European Commission decision to raise the carcase age requirement for the removal of vertebral column to 30 months.

This means that finishers selling 24-30 month-old slaughter animals, particularly heifers, will no longer be faced with a two-tier market driven by the heavy discounts caused by the additional cost of vertebral column removal faced by many butchers and wholesalers.

The move has been welcomed by the National Beef Association which says it eliminates the cost and inconvenience of trading complications installed when the lifting of the OTM rule required UK carcase handling to fall in line with EU requirements for vertebral column removal which had a 24-month limit. NBA director, Kim Haywood, said: "From Monday bidding for cattle that are older than 24 months but less than 30 months will no longer be disfigured and the industry will also benefit from significant savings made as a result of the dismantling of expensive chains of approved cutting rooms."

She said the ruling also meant that bone-in cuts like sirloin, ox tail, and T-bone taken from all cattle under 30 months old can be exported.