Farmers to be paid on carcase ‘hot weight’

Press, 2 October 1987, Page 12

Farmers to be paid on carcase ‘hot weight’

Farmers will be paid on a “hot weight” basis for their sheep and lambs this season because of the introduction of the Weights and Measures Act.

Previously, 4.5 per cent was deducted from the carcase weight before producers were paid to allow for evaporation loss between weighing at the works and arrival at the market place.

The act now states that producers must be paid on the true weight of a carcase. Beef has been hot weighed since the mid 19605.

The Meat Board says hot weighing should have

little impact on returns to producers. Although the carcase weights on the killing sheets will increase by 4.5 per cent, farmers will be paid at a lower price so the net return should remain the, same. Some confusion could arise initially from a hot weight carcase appearing to qualify for the PM grade rather than the PL grade. This confusion is likely to occur at the divisions between grades — for instance, a P carcase weighing 13kg hot will still be a PL on cold weight. Grade splits have been set at 9.lkg, 13.3 kg, and

17.1 kg for lambs and 23.3 kg for mutton. The Meat Board says this should- give a close equivalent to the present grade rules and a balance between erring in favour of the farmer and erring in favour of the company.

Overseas buyers will continue to receive carcases with cold weights and the present weight ranges. Although the new hot weighing system is supposed to apply from October 1, the industry has been granted permission to introduce it from the start of a full week, October 5.