News story

26th March 2001

Foot & Mouth - Abattoirs

Northavon MP Steve Webb has called for urgent Government action to investigate reports from local farmers that abattoirs are exploiting the current foot and mouth crisis by paying rock bottom prices to farmers. Several local farmers have reported that despite high meat prices in supermarkets, the prices being paid for slaughtered animals are actually lower than before the crisis began. In addition, many small farmers are finding that current regulations mean that they will lose even more money when they send animals to be slaughtered. Under present restrictions animals being transported to slaughter can only be taken as part of a single direct journey (rather than picking up from a number of farms) and the whole process has to be overseen by a vet who also has to be paid. Where farmers have only a small number of animals ready for slaughter this is completely uneconomic, and is compounded by the low prices which are then being paid by the abattoirs. Following conversations with local farmers, Steve Webb is now to table a Parliamentary Question to agriculture minister, Nick Brown, asking for urgent action to relieve the situation.

Steve Webb said:

“Where farmers are being allowed to transport animals for slaughter it is only right that they should get a fair price. With meat prices in the shops going up, there can be no justification for abattoirs to be cutting prices to farmers. Life is already proving hard enough for local farmers and the Government must make sure that they are getting a fair deal”.





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