Direct meat sales

[beardface]

How are people finding the direct meat sales a year on from the beginning of the pandemic? Obviously restaurant trade has been pretty non existent, so have direct sales filled that void? Now that the countries opening up again is demand getting even more ridiculous with restaurants coming back online?

 

[Highland Mule]

I pretty much stopped last year - the market value is so high that I was getting embarrassed asking a price that included a meaningful premium for direct produce, plus it is getting rather tricky to secure butchery and abattoir services.

 

[steveR]

I pretty much stopped last year - the market value is so high that I was getting embarrassed asking a price that included a meaningful premium for direct produce, plus it is getting rather tricky to secure butchery and abattoir services.

Funnily enough, I was talking about this earlier this week...

I suspect "box meat" will be meeting consumer resistance!

 

[Highland Mule]

Funnily enough, I was talking about this earlier this week...

I suspect "box meat" will be meeting consumer resistance!

Strangely, it wasn't. But producer embarrassment was becoming an issue, alongside CBA when the price was fine elsewhere.

 

[Hilly]

Strangely, it wasn't. But producer embarrassment was becoming an issue, alongside CBA when the price was fine elsewhere.

When they tell us the price of everything I think how much !! Hard not to be but don’t be embarrassed look at the work that goes into producing red meat it’s phenomenal really .

 

[Highland Mule]

When they tell us the price of everything I think how much !! Hard not to be but don’t be embarrassed look at the work that goes into producing red meat it’s phenomenal really .

Strangely, never get complaints but do get told we don’t charge enough. I’m happy with my lot though, just CBA with people at the moment.

 

[steveR]

Strangely, never get complaints but do get told we don’t charge enough. I’m happy with my lot though, just CBA with people at the moment.

Used to get that when I was shifting 25-30 head/annum in 1/4 boxes.

However, when a box price reached a certain threshold, I found resistance ... no matter what was said.

 

[delilah]

it is getting rather tricky to secure butchery and abattoir services.

This.
Is there anybody, any body, actively working on the issue of abattoir provision ? There are good people pointing out the need to reverse the trend in closures, Sustainable Food Trust being one, but they are small campaigning bodies. Who is there with clout doing something ?

 

[Northern territory]

This.
Is there anybody, any body, actively working on the issue of abattoir provision ? There are good people pointing out the need to reverse the trend in closures, Sustainable Food Trust being one, but they are small campaigning bodies. Who is there with clout doing something ?

Who is interested in opening an abattoir though, the costs have obviously been too much to sustain. Two local ones closed near me in the last few years. Governments just don’t have a clue about the real world when they are spouting about buy local. It’s a real shame and needs addressing.

 

[Hilly]

Who is interested in opening an abattoir though, the costs have obviously been too much to sustain. Two local ones closed near me in the last few years. Governments just don’t have a clue about the real world when they are spouting about buy local. It’s a real shame and needs addressing.

What they spout and what they want are two different things , they want everyone living in city in chicken houses eating mass produced shyt for tots control , the country man with some cattle and hens etc that can fend for him self is a nussance to government.

 

[Highland Mule]

This.
Is there anybody, any body, actively working on the issue of abattoir provision ? There are good people pointing out the need to reverse the trend in closures, Sustainable Food Trust being one, but they are small campaigning bodies. Who is there with clout doing something ?

There had been no change in the provision of abattoir here, just a reduction in appetite to do private work caused by:
Covid shut down due to staffing outbreak
Very busy doing work for prime customers, due to increased sales of locally sourced produce.

Once the country returns to “normal” then I have no doubt the availability will return for me. No need for you to politicise what has been a transient apolitical issue.

 

[delilah]

No need for you to politicise what has been a transient apolitical issue.

I wasn't. You said it is getting tricky securing abattoir and butchers services. I agree.

Who is interested in opening an abattoir though, the costs have obviously been too much to sustain.

For sure, that was my point. To make a comparison, there has been a boom in micro breweries, my understanding is that they get some form of tax breaks/ incentives up to a certain scale of production. Who is campaigning for there to likewise be a break for small scale abattoirs ?

 

[Highland Mule]

I wasn't. You said it is getting tricky securing abattoir and butchers services. I agree.

In that case I apologise for misunderstanding the question:

This.
Is there anybody, any body, actively working on the issue of abattoir provision ?

Yes there is. The NHS are doing a great job getting all the staff back working and we can all do our part by following the guidance to keep infection rates down and so there are no more shut through staff illness.

 

[beardface]

This.
Is there anybody, any body, actively working on the issue of abattoir provision ? There are good people pointing out the need to reverse the trend in closures, Sustainable Food Trust being one, but they are small campaigning bodies. Who is there with clout doing something ?

Surely we don't need some gimp in a suit to provide more abattoirs. Just a few like minded produces with at least one who owns enough space for one. Or a group who create a mobile abattoir with perhaps a central hanging chiller.

 

[delilah]

Surely we don't need some gimp in a suit to provide more abattoirs. Just a few like minded produces with at least one who owns enough space for one. Or a group who create a mobile abattoir with perhaps a central hanging chiller.

Crack on then. I'm only going on what I read and hear; the numbers don't stack up because of the various legislative requirements. Someone needs to get that changed, because lack of local abattoir provision must be one of the biggest barriers to anyone thinking of doing direct sales. The one we use is excellent, but they have no competition, and they know it.

 

[Hilly]

Abattoir situation in this country is unreal, but it’s the same all over in U.K. big or nowt now , sad to see no room for the little guys .

 

[beardface]

Crack on then. I'm only going on what I read and hear; the numbers don't stack up because of the various legislative requirements. Someone needs to get that changed, because lack of local abattoir provision must be one of the biggest barriers to anyone thinking of doing direct sales. The one we use is excellent, but they have no competition, and they know it.

I wasn't having a dig. Just stating that as producers we can do things if we work together. In many other countries processing facilities are cooperatively owned by producers and they didn't need the government to hold their hand.

 

[delilah]

Yeah its cool I was just showing my frustration at the way things are. I guess it is easier abroad for the same reasons that it is difficult here; the numbers need to work.
This would seem to be an obvious issue for our national bodies to get sorted. The welfare campaigners, those who want to see journey times reduced etc, would be on board. Far better to be working on issues like this where we would have support from other sectors than on stuff that only farmers see as being important.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Surely we don't need some gimp in a suit to provide more abattoirs. Just a few like minded produces with at least one who owns enough space for one. Or a group who create a mobile abattoir with perhaps a central hanging chiller.

Mobile slaughter units with mobile on farm chillers, followed round by a mobile butcher a few days later could work.

 

[Muddyroads]

Crack on then. I'm only going on what I read and hear; the numbers don't stack up because of the various legislative requirements. Someone needs to get that changed, because lack of local abattoir provision must be one of the biggest barriers to anyone thinking of doing direct sales. The one we use is excellent, but they have no competition, and they know it.

Not sure that will fit with Princess Nut Nuts sensitivities and the like minded vocal ones. Or the big businesses selling their processed crap.