A NEW pricing grid highlighting the penalties of supplying overweight cattle has disgusted Scottish producers.
In a letter from ABP  UK Livestock, to all producers, Scottish farmers have discovered overweight cattle have been penalised to the tune of 10-30p per deadweight kg more than the same cattle from south of the Border. 
Furthermore, these increased penalties have been in place for more than a year, while the same cattle in England and Wales, have been selling at a higher price per kg.
The new grid conditions, which are supposed to be implemented from July 31, 2017, show all 420-430kg carcases will see base rate penalties increase from 4p per kg to 15p; with 430-440kg cattle deductions increasing from 8p to 30p. Penalties for 440-450kg carcases will rise from their current 12p to 45p per kg. However, it’s these so called ‘new penalties’ that Scottish farmers have been receiving for more than a year.
Commenting on the grid, an ABP spokesperson said: “Different dynamics exist between the English and Scottish market. ABP  Perth pays a significant premium for quality Scottish cattle between 260kg and 420kg driven by demand from our customer base. 
“ABP is focused on continuing to reward producers of cattle within this range which accounts for over 85% of animals processed at Perth. The market has been focused on this weight range of cattle for some years. 
“With this in mind, we are working in partnership with producers across the UK, using technologies like VIA and DNA sampling, to increase the supply of cattle within this weight range.”