Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has spoken out in Parliament this week on the need to rebuild the network of local abattoirs across the UK.
Speaking in a debate on sheep farming in Westminster on Wednesday, August 6, Carmichael noted the need to tackle the “imbalance” between family farms and the bigger players by building up local infrastructure.
“On the imbalance between the small operators—as people are predominantly in the sheep sector – and the bigger players, one thing that the public sector could do to add a bit of value would be to support the reconstruction of a network of local abattoirs.
“That is a genuine opportunity to put in place meaningful and direct support for the small farmers and small units that he is talking about,” Carmichael said.
As demand for locally produced, environmentally sourced meat is growing, small abattoirs are closing at a rate of 10% a year, according to the Food Standards Agency’s figures, which would indicate that within a decade, they may disappear entirely.
Local abattoirs
As a result, businesses and farmers are forced to travel long distances to avail of their nearest abattoir, which is both economically and environmentally unsustainable.
A report published by the Sustainable Food Trust and National Craft Butchers last year, found that 88% of 1,300 businesses surveyed claimed their local abattoir was either essential or important to the success of their business.
The report found that 64% of businesses surveyed were affected by the availability or lack there of, of local abattoirs, which impeded future development plans.
As it stands, the average distance to abattoirs in the UK as a whole, is 31 miles, with an approximate journey time of 50 minutes, while in Scotland, the average distance is higher at 54 miles, according to the same report.
The report also highlighted the most important perceived benefits of both small and local abattoirs in comparison to those situated further for away, which included animal welfare, distance and support for the local economy,
Labour MP, Joe Morris, in response to Carmichael, said:
“Many farmers who are small operators have expressed their frustration to me about people assuming that the majority of farmers are incredibly wealthy and can shoulder the burdens.
“I am reminded of the current Leader of the Opposition (Rishi Sunak), saying to the National Farmers Union conference that a lot of farmers did not do it for the money—forgive me if that is not a direct quote.
“It was brought up at an NFU roundtable during the election campaign and was a source of genuine anger,” Morris said.
Reacting after the debate, Carmichael said:
“Livestock farming is a keystone of the isles economy but we cannot take its future for granted. We are fortunate in the UK and particularly in the isles that family farms, tied to the local community, are the norm.
“That close community link is something we can encourage and reward by rebuilding local infrastructure such as abattoirs, which have previously been consolidated to the detriment of smaller producers.
“Benign neglect cannot be the answer. If ministers want rural communities to thrive then they should support the infrastructure that we need.”
