UFU calls for confidence and transparency in livestock weighing systems
The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) is calling for robust, transparent and consistently applied weighing procedures across Northern Ireland’s livestock processing sector to ensure farmers can have full confidence in the weights used to determine payment.
UFU deputy president Clement Lynch said members across a number of sectors have highlighted the importance of confidence in weighing systems, particularly where differences in recorded weight can have a direct financial impact on farm businesses. “Farm businesses need to be able to trust the systems that determine what they are paid. Whether cattle, sheep, pigs or poultry are being weighed, producers should have confidence that equipment is accurate, procedures are transparent and there is a clear process available if a farmer has a genuine concern about a recorded weight.
“This is not about pointing the finger at any individual business or sector. It is about maintaining confidence throughout the supply chain and ensuring farmers understand the systems and safeguards that determine the weight, and ultimately the value, of what they produce.”
The UFU says there is value in ensuring producers have clear information about the checks, controls and safeguards surrounding commercial weighing systems and how these are applied across the processing sector.
Mr Lynch continued, ” Where payment is directly linked to weight, transparency is essential. Farmers should be provided with clear information about the weights attributed to what they have supplied and should not be left uncertain about the figures upon which their returns are calculated. There should also be clarity around how weighing equipment is checked and calibrated, what information is made available to producers and what process is available if a farmer believes there may be a discrepancy.
“Where a legitimate concern is raised, farmers need to know there is a straightforward mechanism for that concern to be examined and resolved fairly. A transparent system protects not only the producer but also processor by maintaining confidence in the commercial relationship.”
The UFU is encouraging processors across the livestock and poultry sectors to ensure their weighing procedures are clearly communicated to suppliers and that appropriate mechanisms are in place for producers to raise legitimate queries and have them addressed in a timely and transparent manner.
The UFU says there is merit in exploring whether greater guidance, increased transparency or opportunities for independent verification could further strengthen producer confidence in commercial weighing systems across the agri-food supply chain.
“Northern Ireland’s farmers and processors depend on one another. Strong commercial relationships require trust on both sides, and reliable, transparent weighing systems are an important part of maintaining that trust. The principle is simple. If a farmer’s payment is determined by weight, they must be able to have confidence in that weight. That should be a basic expectation across the entire processing sector,” added the UFU deputy president.
