SHEEP carcases riddled with grass seeds are crippling efficiencies on the kill floor at Thomas Foods International.
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The processors northern small stock manager, Andrew Jackson, Armidale, said seedy carcases slowed down his businesss kill rate by 220 animals an hour.
I cant emphasise enough how big of a problem it is, Mr Jackson said.
Our hourly slaughter rates drop from 620 to 400 when we have to deal with grass seeds.
This year his plants had been plagued by spear grass.
Its all off the back of the big wet summer we had last year, he said.
Now, with the hot weather coming on soon the barley grass is going to harden up a lot quicker than wed like.
He encouraged producers to take extra care with their young lambs.