In NI the current basis for procurement of prime cattle is a pricing grid which was negotiated between producers and processors in 2010. The pricing grid was designed prior to the introduction of the current classification system (VIA) under which cattle are graded on a 15-point scale for conformation and fat class. Essentially there are 225 potential grades and the purpose of the pricing grid is to reflect the relative differences in value of each grade of prime cattle on that grid. Cattle pricing also depends on a range of other factors such as weight, age, FQAS status and country of origin.