Government announces plans to support small abattoirs in bid to help local farmers

They can also find it difficult to identify investment opportunities as they often operate with very small profit margins and it also makes securing loans or finding funds for investment difficult.

Last year, Mettrick’s abattoir in Glossop on the South Yorkshire border closed with the butcher, who ironically champions the fight to save small abattoirs in his other roles, saying increasing regulations and red-tape and inexperienced vets have created conflict causing staff to become demoralised and leave.

The independent abattoir that has been in business for more than a hundred years over five generations

The government has announced grants of between £2,000 and £60,000 at an 40 per cent intervention rate – so an abattoir applying for an eligible item costing £10,000 would receive £4,000 in capital grant funding and would therefore need to make up the other £6,000.

The items the grant supports have been selected to improve productivity, 

enhance animal health and welfare,  add value to primary products,  encourage innovation the use of new technologies. 

It is hoped that if the grants help small abattoirs to continue operating, that in turn, will help farmers, support the continuation of native and rare breeds and improve animal welfare standards.

A government spokesperson said: “Smaller abattoirs are really important. They’re vital to farmers getting their products to market. Smaller abattoirs are an important part of rural economies. They offer a higher value route to market for native and rare breeds, particularly horned animals which many large abattoirs are generally unable or unwilling to process.

“They also support higher standards of animal welfare by helping to maintain reduced journey times to slaughter, ensuring that animals do not need to be transported over longer distances, which can create welfare issues, as well as taking up farmers’ limited time.”

The UK is the highest ranked G7 nation in the World Animal Protection’s Index so shorter transportation and less suffering for livestock is also supported via small abattoirs.

There is hope that the retention of smaller abattoirs can also play an important role in providing private kill services to farmers wishing to retail and market their own produce and provide local products to local butchers and farm shops.

This service is not routinely provided by larger abattoirs as it is usually not cost-effective or practical if distances to the point of slaughter are too long.

Staff from the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) are in the process of contacting eligible applicants with the official guidance and application forms. The deadline to apply is September 30 2024.