The Sustainable Food Trust (SFT) and Abattoir Sector Group have praised the report, which details many of the issues facing smaller abattoirs today.
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee has published a report, ‘Moving Animals Across Borders’, that examines how pets, horses and livestock will now be moved between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Europe after Brexit.
Within the report, the committee recommended that “supporting and bolstering the UK abattoir network will benefit [the UK’s] food security and protect animal welfare.” The committee also stated that there is “a direct link” between the government’s current policy of limiting journey times between the farm and abattoirs, and the need for a network of small and medium abattoirs spread geographically around the UK.
The report continued: “Small abattoirs must be commercially viable businesses, capable of supporting themselves. Defra should take action to protect small and medium abattoirs as a national strategic asset. These businesses should be supported and bolstered through the Future Farming Resilience Fund. Defra should set out and enact its approach to funding the UK abattoirs network as a strategic national asset within six months.”
"Around 60 small abattoirs left in the UK"
Megan Perry, head of policy and campaigns at the SFT and group member of the Abattoir Sector Group, said: “We have been campaigning for three and a half years to get the importance of our small, local abattoir network recognised and supported by government. Sadly, we have continued to lose more small abattoirs during this time and we now only have around 60 left in the UK. We are delighted to see the EFRA Committee raising this issue and in particular Defra Minister Lord Benyon’s comments that small abattoirs are 'strategic assets'.”
Perry went on to say that the groups were urging the EFRA Committee’s recommendations to be enacted as quickly as possible “before more abattoirs close.”
"Increased demand for local meat"
John Mettrick, abattoir owner and chair of the Abattoir Sector Group said: “I look forward to government implementing the recommendations made in the report in a timely fashion so that the sector can plan a future. Small abattoirs can then support farmers that diversify and supply the public who are increasingly demanding local meat from short resilient supply chains."
Professor Tim Morris from the Abattoir Sector Group and Animal Health and Welfare Board for England said: “Government must address the heavy handed regulations overburdening these smaller abattoirs, preventing them from being successful commercial enterprises.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
