Mr Doran said IFA recently met with the senior Department Inspectors over classification and demanded that the levels of monitoring and inspection of mechanical classification and other areas such as carcase trim are significantly increased in order to guarantee farmers that they are receiving accurate returns under the system.

He said, “It is the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture to ensure that mechanical classification and carcase trim are being properly and correctly monitored and implemented in the factories. Farmers are very concerned about recent media reports about inaccuracies on mechanical classification and the Department of Agriculture must clarify the facts.”

Mr Doran said the Department of Agriculture must also provide a proper appeals system under mechanical classification in circumstances where a farmer feels he has not received the appropriate grade.