EUCAS (EU) System

The EU market is an important market for Australian beef producers. It is one of Australia’s highest value markets in $ per kilogram terms and it continues to grow as a destination for High Quality Australian beef. The EU market is a HGP free market which puts greater pressure on genetics to supply the market specifications correctly. In recent years the market has moved towards greater grain fed product, in particular the 100 Day EU HQB grain fed certified program.

Shorthorn and Shorthorn cross cattle are well suited to the EU market and have developed a premium for their ability to satisfy market requirements.

The European Union Cattle Accreditation Scheme (EUCAS) is a national animal production scheme that guarantees full traceability of all animals through the  National Livestock Identification System (NLIS), linking individual animal identification to a central database. EUCAS allows Australia to meet the European Union (EU) market requirements for beef by segregating cattle that have never been treated with hormonal growth promotants (HGPs) at any time.

EUCAS accredited farms are audited on both a random and targeted basis. EUCAS feedlots and saleyards are audited annually and their ongoing accreditation depends on a successful audit. If a farm, feedlot or saleyard are found not to be complying with the requirements of the scheme the Department of Agriculture reserves the right to revoke their accreditation.

For the latest details on the EUCAS system please visit the DAFF website or the MLA EUCAS Fact Sheet