The farming industry is being called upon to complete an important online survey regarding their use of abattoirs and the importance of an abattoir for their business.

The survey aims to gather evidence to show the role smaller local abattoirs play in particular, and how abattoir closures have impacted farmers.

This follows a call for evidence from the Food Standards Agency last September regarding the small abattoir discount on meat inspection charges, with a more in-depth review currently being carried out. We shared a briefing through the Abattoir Sector Group which outlined some of the key issues. However, we now need to gather more detailed data and evidence to support our case.

Concern has grown in the industry that the current discount, which represents up to 90% of charges for some abattoirs, could be under threat. According to the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, 40% of small-medium sized abattoirs would close without the discount. And according to National Craft Butchers, all of their small abattoir members would close. This could have widespread negative impacts on consumer access to local meat, animal welfare, the viability and growth of farming and rural businesses, and the delivery of environmental land management.

With input from Abattoir Sector Group members and working closely with the Soil Association, Rare Breeds Survival Trust and others, we have created a survey for farmers to share more about the services they use, the challenges they already face in accessing an abattoir, and how any further closures would impact their business.

Megan Perry, Head of Policy and Campaigns at the Sustainable Food Trust, said: “We need to hear directly from those on the frontlines of farming to understand how abattoirs are important for their businesses and what the impact would be of losing the services they provide. We are particularly looking to understand how the wider economic, environmental and consumer benefits would be harmed. From our initial research it is clear that losing these services could have a devasting impact for local meat businesses and sustainable livestock farming. Abattoirs have already declined from 2,500 in the 1970s to just 200 today and further closures will leave farmers with nowhere to go.”

Adrian Steele, Organic Sector Development Advisor for the Soil Association, said: “You would expect policymakers to be working to improve and enhance shorter supply chains, with a strategic focus on growing a resilient local food economy, supporting the long-term growth of food processing hubs such as packhouses and abattoirs across the UK. If the small abattoir discount is removed, it will have the opposite effect, and will devastate local food economies throughout England and Wales.”

Christopher Price, Chief Executive of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, said: “A sustainable livestock sector depends on there being a network of local abattoirs capable of processing a diverse range of species and breeds to meet the farmers’ needs. There is little point in government claiming to support farming, particularly in some of our most marginal areas in which extensive livestock farming is the only option, if it removes or significantly reduces the small abattoir discount which will inevitably result in the destruction of a significant part of the small abattoir sector.”

ENDS

For further information or media comment please contact Megan Perry: megan@sustainablefoodtrust.org | 07761804341

 

NOTES

[1] The survey will be launched on Wednesday 5th March and will close on Friday 21st March. We would be grateful for any help in sharing amongst farming networks. The survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/abattoirs

[2] More information can be found here https://www.food.gov.uk/board-papers/evaluation-of-the-meat-charging-discount-regime

[3] The Abattoir Sector Group was established in 2020 to provide a unified voice for the small and local abattoir sector. Steering group members include the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare, Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, National Craft Butchers, Pasture for Life, Rare Breeds Survival Trust and Sustainable Food Trust. The wider ASG membership includes more than 20 other food and farming organisations, such as the National Farmers Union and the Soil Association. More information can be found on the website https://abattoirsectorgroup.org/.