NSA stresses the importance of a sustainable abattoir network across the UK

The National Sheep Association (NSA) continues to engage in discussions on abattoirs across Britain, ensuring the views of sheep farmers and the practical realities of farming are represented.

The closure of small abattoirs is putting pressure on high-value red meat businesses, as critical infrastructure continues to decline, says NSA following an industry coalition letter.

The letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivers a clear message: if we want UK farmers to produce our food, they need the infrastructure that enables them to get it to market.

Small, local abattoirs are essential for businesses looking to add value by selling directly and using rare and native breeds, which all form part of a thriving British farming sector.

Over the decades, many areas of the UK have been left with fewer options for local slaughter and processing. More than 90% of abattoirs have disappeared since the 1970s. Figures widely reported in the media suggest that UK abattoir numbers have fallen from around 2,500 to just 200. This leaves farmers without vital local slaughter facilities, putting British food production, rural businesses and animal welfare increasingly at risk.

Regulatory burdens and operating costs are often cited when businesses decide to cease trading. NSA signed the letter alongside more than 150 organisations, businesses and individuals, calling for local slaughterhouse capacity to be recognised as an essential food and economic infrastructure, with urgent action taken to secure a sustainable network across Britain.

NSA Policy Manager Michael Priestly says: “Small abattoirs support the diversity of breeds in the UK.

“This is something recognised by previous governments through initiatives such as the Small Abattoir Fund. Small abattoirs provide services that larger, higher throughput plants cannot offer, such as private kill, cutting, packing and value-added processing.”

NSA echoes the Abattoir Sector Group in calling for risk-based and proportionate regulation for small abattoirs.  

“We support the calls for local slaughter capacity to be recognised as critical national infrastructure. We believe it should be considered alongside energy, transport and skills in economic planning.

“We also back the group’s calls to review regulation, charges and the burdens placed on farms. Targeted funding for local abattoirs and feasibility work would undoubtedly be welcome. Mobile facilities, like those being developed in the Scottish Highlands, and public-private partnerships should be looked at further as solutions in areas across the UK.”

A recent letter from the Abattoir Sector Group outlined the challenges facing small abattoirs and highlighted the findings of a survey of 850 farmers and land managers, which assessed concerns about abattoir availability.

The survey found that almost a third of respondents said their meat business might close if their local abattoir closed. A further 43% said they would be unable to sell meat locally if they lost access to their local abattoir, while around two-thirds had experienced difficulties accessing suitable abattoir services.

NSA is aligning with the wider farming industry to call on the UK Government to work with the sector to secure a sustainable network of local and regional abattoirs to help secure a viable future for sheep farmers across the UK.