Vol. 510 No. 6
191 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the indications he can give to farmers regarding the breeding categories they should incline towards in order to have a marketable product in the beef sector; the guidelines he will lay down in respect of quality and standards; and the way he which he disseminates this information to farming communities in order that they might avail of quality breeding and its benefits. [23685/99]
The breed of cattle needed for the successful marketing of Irish beef on our export market varies from market to market. As a general rule, the European continental markets require heavy, well shaped carcases with a high meat yield and low fat cover and the continental breeds fulfil this requirement best. The requirements of the live weanling trade are for lean well-conformed animals with a high growth rate, which can deliver uniformity. The continental breeds also fulfil this requirement. Our more traditional breeds of cattle as well as the lighter continental type animals are in demand for the UK market. Payment on the basis of grades is a very effective way of conveying market information to producers.
As far as standards are concerned, the national beef assurance scheme Bill, currently before the Oireachtas, is designed to establish in detail the standards of Irish cattle and beef from production right through to marketing. It is intended that, when adopted, these standards will be applied through a process of registration, inspection and approval such that only those parties meeting the standards set will be approved for the production, processing and trade in Irish cattle and beef. An Bord Bia already operates a voluntary quality assurance scheme with the beef sector. This scheme is market led and is designed to provide assurances to customers about the quality, origin and integrity of Irish beef. It is essentially a code of "best practices" covering both farm production and factory processing and is monitored by audit.
