A new EID technology that allows producers to track performance of sheep at slaughter is being tested at a Morrisons meat plant in Aberdeenshire.
The ear tags will give farmers detailed quality data on every sheep reaching the Turriff abattoir, recording carcass weights and grades.
The trial is being run in partnership with Quality Meat Scotland and ScotEID, the Scottish government-funded livestock traceability company.
If successful, it will put the final, missing piece in the jigsaw that can help farmers take advantage of EID to make breeding decisions at farm level based on performance evidence, said Morrisons.
"This initiative, which advances the technology to a stage where individual ear tag numbers can be linked to carcass weights and grades, is a major step forward for farmers interested in finding out what their returns are from specific breeds or breeding lines," said Quality Meat Scotland chairman Jim McLaren.
"This will help to improve the efficiency of the Scottish sheep industry and producers' bottom lines by giving them information they have never had easy access to previously."
Source: www.fwi.co.uk
ONLINE VOTE: Kirkby couple refused alcohol at Morrisons because 16-year-old twins were shopping with them - chad.co.uk
A KIRKBY couple have hit out at Morrisons supermarket after a member of staff refused to sell them alcohol because their sons were underage.
Simon Starmore (48) and his partner Patricia Thornley (44) said they felt ‘humiliated’ after a cashier at Morrisons in Kirkby refused to sell them three crates of Carling beer.
The couple were out shopping with their 16-year-old twin sons Sam and Todd and it was the presence of the two teenagers that sparked the issue.
And despite the family buying a long list of items and not just booze, the cashier demanded to see ID for one of the twins.
Patricia said: “She looked at us, looked at the eldest twin and said ‘have you got any ID?’
“I said ‘what does he want ID for - he isn’t buying it, I am.’
“She still said she needed his ID and said that he needed it because he was with us.”
After arguing their case, the cashier’s supervisor came over and the couple were eventually allowed to purchase the lager.
However, the episode, which lasted around 10 minutes and happened in front of other customers, left Simon and Patricia feeling like they were in the wrong when they were simply buying beer to drink at home.
They say the situation was made worse by the lack of an apology from staff for the embarrassment caused.
Said Patricia: “It was so humiliating.
“I would sooner just stop in and shop online.”
Since the incident, which happened last Tuesday, the couple have not returned to the store and have instead shopped elsewhere.
Added Simon: “There was not so much as an apology.
“We were quite angry at how they treated us - they made us feel like we were doing something wrong.”
A Morrisons spokesman said the company has a policy of not selling alcohol unless it can be certain it will not be consumed by anyone under 18, but that this should not stop customers from buying alcohol when shopping with teenagers.
It also operates a Challenge 25 policy.
“We are required by law to police the sale of alcohol and take our responsibility very seriously,” he said.
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