AHDB calls for industry views on carcase classification
AHDB Beef & Lamb has asked representatives of the beef and lamb industry to share their thoughts on the future of carcase classification, ahead of Brexit and following concerns around the EUROP grid.
The EUROP system has been in place since the early 1970s and is currently used for carcase classification under EU regulation.
It provides a common language for the exchange of price information across Europe and forms the basis of domestic cattle purchase pricing mechanisms.
However, according to AHDB, its importance and relevance in communicating consumer and retailer demands has been challenged and parts of the industry have expressed a desire to move rewards to meat quality and consumer-based outcomes.
The AHDB Carcase Evaluation paper reads: “With a potential blank canvas of pricing/valuation of cattle and the resulting meat, there is an opportunity to develop a system/method that places emphasis on those factors that are important to today’s supply chains and consumers and to incentivise these parameters to drive industry change.
“Other countries have followed this route, for example the US and Australia, and have a clear market offering that conveys prices based on eating quality.”
As part of the project, AHDB Beef & Lamb has also reviewed classification methods used globally in Australia, USA, Canada, South Africa, South America and Japan, while actively speaking to key stakeholders to get their view.
Laura Ryan, AHDB sector strategy director for Beef & Lamb, said: “With Brexit right around the corner, this is the perfect time to have an industry-wide discussion to assess the appetite for change in carcase classification and the key industry needs.”
“The beef and lamb sector has seen a number of changes in recent years and we want to make sure that, with a potential blank canvas in the pricing of cattle and sheep, that we help industry members have the opportunity to consider factors that are important to today’s supply chains and consumers.”
How to participate
Interested parties can submit their views by 8th September by email to carcase@ahdb.org.uk, answering the following questions:
• Should elements of EUROP remain, if so, what?
• Is there industry ambition to review both beef and sheep carcase evaluation?
• What additional elements could be considered?
• What other methods used have relevance to the UK?
• How should we avoid multiple systems to prevent confusion in a post-EU industry?
• What role, if any, should RPA or the Government play?
• How and who is to manage pricing reporting?
More information on the project can be found here.
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