16 Month Penalties See Rise in Bull Slaughter
UK – Slaughter statistics show that prime bull kill in Northern Ireland is now more than a fifth of overall production.
25 October 2013
1 minute read
Slaughter figures from the Livestock and Meat Commission put the increase at 11 per cent year on year and 3 per cent above the prime kill for the same period for 2012.
A total of 5,435 young bulls/calves were slaughtered last month, this is over 500 more than the same month last year.
This reverses the steer slaughter trend which has fallen 27 per cent year on year for September.
But the Commission has acknowledged young bulls are over 20 kilos lighter than they were up until October in 2012.
A key driver behind this trend towards younger bulls being slaughtered has been a tighter application of penalties on killing over 16 months, an LMC spokesperson said.
“Young bulls do not qualify for the in spec bonus that is available for steers and heifers and are subject to penalties for slaughtering over 16 months,” the spokesperson added.
“Specifications on all prime cattle have been tightened in recent months and reports from industry have indicated that factories are currently reviewing their payment structure for young bulls with a view to encourage producers to finish bulls under 16 months through greater penalties for those that exceed this age threshold.”
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