Latest news with #DownLandTraditionalMeats
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Farming Today 03/06/25 - Welsh Environment Bill, small abattoirs and smart cattle tech
A new law which is intended to protect nature and reverse the loss of wildlife has been introduced by the Welsh Government. The Environment Bill aims to allow members of the public to challenge organisations in Wales, including councils, on environmental issues such as water pollution. If passed, it will set up a new Office of Environmental Governance, to enforce environmental law, and Ministers in the Senedd will have to set targets to reduce pollution and manage ecosystems. We visit Down Land Traditional Meats in West Sussex, where the owner says increasing financial strain and red tape is putting the future of small abattoirs at risk. The closure of abattoirs has been a long standing trend - in the 1970s the UK had 2 and half thousand that had dropped to just 203 by 2023. And we find out about a high-tech cattle handling crate that incorporates software to monitor animals. It can minimise manual handling by drafting animals - where a herd is separated into smaller groups - by itself. Presented by Anna Hill Produced by Heather Simons
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Small abattoirs in South East face uncertain future as costs rise
The owner of one of the last remaining small abattoirs in the South East has said he is "incredibly concerned" about the future of the Smith, who runs Down Land Traditional Meats in Henfield, West Sussex, said without more financial support from the government his slaughterhouse may not survive. He said that would impact farmers who choose to supply butchers and farm shops, rather than government said it is "committed to working with the meat processing sector in tackling the challenges they face". The cost of disposing of animal waste has risen to £5,000 a week. "An ageing workforce is also a challenge" Mr Smith said, "the average age of a slaughterman is 63. Young people are not interested in coming in to the industry. "The abattoir is not viable and is making a loss. I'm running a wholesale butchery, that's what's keeping our business alive."We do need support and funding." The number of abattoirs in the UK has fallen from about 2,500 in the 1970s to 203 by operations in England fell from 64 in 2019, to 49 in 2023, with five closing in Edward Perrett from Ditchling, West Sussex, uses Mr Smith's abattoir, selling the meat to customers in his farm shop."To have a short journey to an abattoir is good for animal welfare and it keeps the cost down" he said."If the abattoir closed down it would make life very difficult." Mr Smith has the support of Arundel and South Downs Conservative MP Andrew Griffith said: "This is a vital, sometimes neglected part of our food supply chain. There is a real crisis here."The last government set up some grants but we need even more than that and crucially, less red tape." A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: "Small abattoirs make a vital contribution towards maintaining our resilient food supply chain and provide a competitive route to market for producers of rare and native breeds."We are investing £5 billion into farming, the largest ever budget for sustainable food production, and are unlocking rural growth with reforms to boost farmers' profits."
