Arundel and South Downs MP Andrew Griffith attended a Westminster Hall debate in Parliament on Thursday (8th May) to call on the government to do more to protect small abattoirs. This is an issue of urgent concern for the rural and farming communities in the south east of England because there is only one small abattoir remaining, in Henfield.
Ministers from Defra heard from a number of MPs who all made the case for small abattoirs to be protected as a vital part of the UK meat processing industry, and to deliver vital funding to support increased capacity and the infrastructure needed to meet the highest of animal welfare standards.
Downland Traditional Meats Limited in Henfield is the last remaining small abattoir in the south east following the closure of Tottingworth abattoir in East Sussex in 2023 and Turners abattoir in Farnborough in January. These closures have meant that farmers are now reliant on the services of Downland Traditional Meats and are having to take longer journeys to get there. This has also meant that the abattoir has had to greatly increase its throughput. The nearest alternatives for farmers to go to are either Romford in the east or Devizes in the west.
The abattoir plays a pivotal role in farming where small abattoirs enable conservation and regenerative grazing, such as at the Knepp Estate, because they can process the native and rare breeds which cannot be taken by the large abattoirs. However, if it cannot access the funding it urgently needs to continue then the impact will be widely felt amongst many small farming businesses who typically supply butchers, farm shops, and restaurants.
In the debate, Shadow DEFRA Minister, Robbie Moore MP spoke about how Andrew Griffith had helped to secure an urgent grant from West Sussex County Council, after meeting with Horsham District Council’s Chief Executive to discuss the issue.
Keiran Mullen MP of Bexhill and Battle also spoke about Andrew’s support to Downland abattoir. He highlighted the fact that it provides an essential service to local farmers in his constituency and across Sussex because the abattoir is willing to accept specific native livestock species not accepted by supermarkets.
The cost pressures of running an abattoir includes a significant increase in the rates for official vets and meat hygiene inspectors, changes to waste removal following an Environment Agency rule change at the beginning of the year, and a lack of skilled workforce.
Andrew Griffith said:
“I will continue to fight for what is needed to ensure that Downland Traditional Meat can continue its important work for the farming industry. And I will be calling on the government to continue the Smaller Abattoir Fund which was set up by the last government.
“I know from my regular ‘farm to fork’ meetings with farmers just how perilous things are for the farming industry right now with the closure of some of their grants, the introduction of the family death tax, and a hike in employment taxes.
“The government needs to recognise the importance of having accessible abattoirs for farmers to process their meat. Without this service, farmers will simply give up and we will no longer see native and rare breeds grazing in our beautiful countryside.”
ENDS
For further information please contact Michelle Taylor – 07928 529783, [email protected]
