The fund will present grants of as much as £60,000
15 December 2023
3 minute learn
Defra has launched a £4 million ($5.1 million) fund to assist smaller pink meat and poultry abattoirs throughout England, in response to the UK’s Nationwide Pig Affiliation.
The Smaller Abattoir Fund will present grants of between £2,000 and £60,000 for eligible companies to assist enhance productiveness, animal well being and welfare, enhance worth to major merchandise, and encourage progressive applied sciences.
Initially introduced in February, it can assist capital investments like chilly storage models, which may increase refrigeration capability, permitting for much less ready occasions and elevated manufacturing charges.
“England’s abattoirs are vital to livestock farmers who present their high-quality merchandise to native butchers and farm retailers up and down the nation,” stated farm minister Mark Spencer.
“This £4 million fund won’t solely assist smaller abattoir and cellular enterprise homeowners to innovate, make investments and enhance requirements, however it can give farmers, notably those that produce native and uncommon breeds, extra stability in getting their merchandise to market,” Spencer added.
The Rural Funds Company (RPA) will e-mail all eligible smaller abattoirs in coming days, outlining the applying course of.
The fund has been positively obtained, with John Mettrick, the chair of the Abattoir Sector Group, urging abattoirs to benefit from the fund to assist develop their enterprise sooner or later.
“This demonstrates that the federal government recognises the significance of small abattoirs to farmers, butchers, and the entire rural provide chain,” he stated.
“This fund has been developed by Defra, the Meals Requirements Company, the Abattoir Sector Group and the meat business working collectively, and I might urge abattoir companies to benefit from the fund to assist develop their companies for the long run,” Mettrick added.
Megan Perry, head of coverage and campaigns on the sustainable meals belief stated small abattoirs have been the ‘cornerstone’ of native meat provide chains, offering infrastructure to make a nationwide transition to sustainable farming follow.
“There was a catastrophic decline in small abattoirs, with companies closing at a fee of 10% per yr. This has induced havoc for farming and native meat companies and has resulted in animals travelling more and more lengthy distances to slaughter.
“If we’re to construct a really sustainable and resilient meals system right here within the UK then we’d like the infrastructure to assist it. This fund is essential to attaining this and we thank all these concerned with bringing it about.”
“A complete community of native abattoirs in a position to course of small numbers of non-standard animals and return each the carcass and by-products, is significant for native breed farmers supplying their prime quality, sustainable produce into their native meals chains and past,” stated Christopher Worth, Uncommon Breeds Survival Belief chief govt. “However over the previous few many years on account of rising prices and rules this community has been in sustained, severe decline.”
“At present’s launch of the Smaller Abattoir Fund gives a lifeline for these amenities to make sure they’re match match for an more and more market-facing world by, for instance, investing in digital alternatives that may assist scale back working prices, and updated capital gear to enhance productiveness,” Worth concluded.
(GBP 1 = USD $1.28)
