The impact of abattoir restructuring and consolidation in the UK: seeking red meat livestock farmers

[RachelResearcher]

Abattoirs are the linchpin of the red meat supply chain. However, the number of abattoirs continues to fall and they are increasingly specialised. Researchers at Newcastle University, England, are exploring the implications of the changing structure of abattoir businesses on the livestock farmers who use their services. They have designed a survey to better understand the business relationship between farmers and abattoirs. If you are a UK red meat livestock farmer; and if you are interested or concerned about abattoirs, their falling number, increasing regionalisation and specialisation, or the reduction in services available to your farm, please complete the survey which is available at: https://newcastle.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/abattoirsurvey

 

[Werzle]

Yeah they are great at robbing us tbf, without farmers they wouldnt have FA to slaughter so who's the real linchpin

 

[Treg]

Done

 

[Jackov Altraids]

That is a shockingly bad survey.

 

[RachelResearcher]

Done

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your help!

 

[RachelResearcher]

That is a shockingly bad survey.

Sorry you feel like that. Would you like to provide any specific feedback?

 

[kfpben]

There’s no option for live weight sellers on the survey, though abattoir consolidation affects us just as much.

Lots of emphasis on home kill for some reason but no option for killing it yourself, which is what i do.

 

[RachelResearcher]

There’s no option for live weight sellers on the survey, though abattoir consolidation affects us just as much.

Lots of emphasis on home kill for some reason but no option for killing it yourself, which is what i do.

Thanks for your feedback. Although this survey investigates farmers working relationship directly with abattoirs, we will also investigate the impact for liveweight sellers as well. Thanks for bringing that to our attention. Farmers who indicate using PK for home consumption are directed to specific questions on that topic.

 

[delilah]

I find it somewhat ironic that the survey is funded by The Princes Countryside Trust.
Prince Charles has come out with a lot of guff over the years, but there is one telling statement he made (on the environment, but applies to all aspects of life)
"By the time we have the diagnosis, the patient will be dead".
ie, all these surveys, consultations and studies, its just procrastinating bollox.
We know why the number of abattoirs is declining, and we know what needs to happen to reverse that decline.
But no-one is prepared to grasp the nettle, so lets just do a survey instead.

 

[topground]

When Gavin Strang was Minister of Agriculture way back there was a statement made by the policy makers that the UK only needed 12 abbatoirs. Since then the State Veterinary Service and now the Food Standards Agency have imposed a series of unnecessary burdens on small slaughterhouses and forced most out of business under the guise of roud safety when in fact the risk posed to food safety by a slaughterhouse is no greater than a potato store. The produce from both is subject to cooking before consumption.. In the BANES area prior to 1990 there were 8 slaughterhouses, now there is only one left, at the back of Pearce's shop in Chew Magna.
The only beneficiaries have been the likes of Larry Goodman and the supermarket cartels.

 

[graham99]

Abattoirs are the linchpin of the red meat supply chain. However, the number of abattoirs continues to fall and they are increasingly specialised. Researchers at Newcastle University, England, are exploring the implications of the changing structure of abattoir businesses on the livestock farmers who use their services. They have designed a survey to better understand the business relationship between farmers and abattoirs. If you are a UK red meat livestock farmer; and if you are interested or concerned about abattoirs, their falling number, increasing regionalisation and specialisation, or the reduction in services available to your farm, please complete the survey which is available at: https://newcastle.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/abattoirsurvey

you might want to look into what is happens in the USA .
red meat is a high value product , in a low wage world .
the banks are not going to give up their govt walfare . so people can afford meat .
if we are lucky diary will survive , as the many products made from dairy .but fents arn't cheap and fent leads the world in drivelress tractors.
which leads to even lower wages

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Sorry you feel like that. Would you like to provide any specific feedback?

Please accept my apology for being a bit blunt but I was extremely disappointed that you had identified a huge problem for the UK in how red meat is processed and then failed to ask any questions that highlight the problems.
You find out;
My gender
Numbers of fatstock sold
Where I send them and why
Whether I sell, or intend to sell meat direct to customers
Year of birth
The country I live in
What assurance scheme I use.

The box for additional comments would probably be the greatest source of information but it is hard to include it in the survey results when you don't know how many others might have shared the sentiments but not considering writing it for themselves.

A few questions missed include;

Do you believe that your business suffers due to a lack of processors

How many buyers do you regularly get at your local market

How many abattoirs do you have within 50 mile / 1 hr drive

Would you like to support new local processing facilities

Does a lack of choice mean that terms / requirements are dictated to you

 

[deleted user 837354]

When Gavin Strang was Minister of Agriculture way back there was a statement made by the policy makers that the UK only needed 12 abbatoirs. Since then the State Veterinary Service and now the Food Standards Agency have imposed a series of unnecessary burdens on small slaughterhouses and forced most out of business under the guise of roud safety when in fact the risk posed to food safety by a slaughterhouse is no greater than a potato store. The produce from both is subject to cooking before consumption.. In the BANES area prior to 1990 there were 8 slaughterhouses, now there is only one left, at the back of Pearce's shop in Chew Magna.
The only beneficiaries have been the likes of Larry Goodman and the supermarket cartels.

EU regulations did not help. BSE did the rest.

 

[egbert]

Done yer survey Maid, but it seems to be missing out whole great sections of stuff, while asking for the 'name and location' of my local killing shop.

 

[warksfarmer]

Abattoirs are the linchpin of the red meat supply chain. However, the number of abattoirs continues to fall and they are increasingly specialised. Researchers at Newcastle University, England, are exploring the implications of the changing structure of abattoir businesses on the livestock farmers who use their services. They have designed a survey to better understand the business relationship between farmers and abattoirs. If you are a UK red meat livestock farmer; and if you are interested or concerned about abattoirs, their falling number, increasing regionalisation and specialisation, or the reduction in services available to your farm, please complete the survey which is available at: https://newcastle.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/abattoirsurvey

I’ve always wondered why farmers don’t club together in groups, say a 30-50 mile radius and set up their own abattoirs on a farm itself. Each member has a share and they collectively employ a manager and required staff. Then each abattoir is a member of a national group that then markets all members of all groups produce to the shops cutting out any middlemen currently in the chain, that don’t add value, only cost.

 

[delilah]

markets all members of all groups produce to the shops

which shops would that be ?

The only beneficiaries have been the likes of Larry Goodman and the supermarket cartels.

The NFU - for the 30 years I have been engaging with them on this matter - has supported the concentration of market share in food retailing.
An entirely logical and inevitable consequence of which is consolidation in the supply chain.
The NFU is your premier national representative body.
Their view, is your view.
You have all been supporting the dismantling of local and regional processing facilities for decades.

 

[egbert]

I’ve always wondered why farmers don’t club together in groups, say a 30-50 mile radius and set up their own abattoirs on a farm itself. Each member has a share and they collectively employ a manager and required staff. Then each abattoir is a member of a national group that then markets all members of all groups produce to the shops cutting out any middlemen currently in the chain, that don’t add value, only cost.

Past decades have seen variations on such co-ops (both in the meat job at differing levels, through to 'buying groups'), but they usually crash and burn.
There seem to be various reasons, and notably the meat trade is especially an industry notoriously difficult to keep afloat in.

It is a fundamental problem that while many of us may be perfectly good stockmen and farmers, and some are even famously...er.... 'careful' with their money, but it doesn't necessarily follow that we're therefore good or sharp businessmen.
And with decades of the CAP safety net, we're not always altogether aware of this reality.

 

[RachelResearcher]

Please accept my apology for being a bit blunt but I was extremely disappointed that you had identified a huge problem for the UK in how red meat is processed and then failed to ask any questions that highlight the problems.
You find out;
My gender
Numbers of fatstock sold
Where I send them and why
Whether I sell, or intend to sell meat direct to customers
Year of birth
The country I live in
What assurance scheme I use.

The box for additional comments would probably be the greatest source of information but it is hard to include it in the survey results when you don't know how many others might have shared the sentiments but not considering writing it for themselves.

A few questions missed include;

Do you believe that your business suffers due to a lack of processors

How many buyers do you regularly get at your local market

How many abattoirs do you have within 50 mile / 1 hr drive

Would you like to support new local processing facilities

Does a lack of choice mean that terms / requirements are dictated to you

Thank you for your feedback. Farmers who use a PK service are directed to several such questions. However, those who do not use a PK service had more limited questions and less opportunity to express their concerns / experiences. Thanks to your feedback I have now addressed this and added questions. I just opened this survey in the last couple of days and due to the virus have had very limited opportunity to pilot it / get feedback. I really appreciate the help.