Question
What estimate he has made of (a) the backlog of cattle awaiting slaughter under the over 30 month scheme as a result of the reduction in the number of designated abattoirs and (b) the total loss to farmers through being unable to get cattle slaughtered before the new price and weight regime applies in August.
Answer
Mr. Curry: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of (a) the backlog of cattle awaiting slaughter under the over-30-months scheme as a result of the reduction in the number of designated abattoirs and (b) the total loss to farmers through being unable to get cattle slaughtered before the new price and weight regime applies in August. [11252] Dr. Jack Cunningham: there is no backlog of over-30-months scheme cattle awaiting slaughter as a result of the reduction in the number of abattoirs. In the months of July and August, around 15,000 over-30-months cattle are normally slaughtered each week, and the Intervention Board has made available the capacity to handle 16,000 OTMS cattle a week in the scheme abattoirs. The reduction in the rate of compensation and the introduction of a weight limit, which are effective from 4 August, has resulted in significantly increased demand for the scheme because some farmers have brought forward their cull plans to try and benefit from the existing compensation arrangements. The Intervention Board has increased the amount of scheme slaughtering capacity by around 20 per cent. in the two weeks immediately proceeding the rate change to assist producers, and has also issued instructions to scheme abattoirs to ensure, as far as possible, that producers are treated equitably and fairly. It is inevitable that some producers will be disappointed, but it would have been self-defeating for the Government to support a reduction in the scheme rate, and at the same time, take steps to minimise the number of cattle adversely affected by it. The effect of the change in the scheme rate and the introduction of a weight restriction will reduce the return for a dairy cow weighting 560 kg by around £40, and for a suckler cow weighing 620 kg by around £80.