No rethink on BSE abattoir cuts
9 December 1999
No rethink on BSE abattoir cuts
By Alistair Driver
THE Intervention Board has ruled out a review of its decision to reduce the number of abattoirs slaughtering cattle under the Over Thirty Month Scheme.
Intervention Board officials rejected calls from the National Farmers Union asking it not to reduce the number of OTMS abattoirs from 29 to 21.
Tony Pexton, NFU deputy-president, met George Trevelyan of the Intervention Board on Wednesday (8 December) and urged him to reconsider the move.
The NFU said the decision meant cattle farmers face animal welfare problems, increased transport costs and a New Year backlog in getting cattle to abattoirs.
Farmers in East Anglia, the north-east, south-west and north Wales will be worst hit by the reduction in OTMS abattoirs, the union claims.
But an IB spokeswoman said there were no plans to review the new contracts, which come into effect from 4 January, 2000, and will run for at least 12 months.
“We take the view of the NFU very seriously, but the contracts were awarded after a rigorous tendering process, which followed strict criteria,” she said.
The combined slaughter capacity of the remaining 21 abattoirs will remain broadly the same – 15,700 head/week against 15,880 head/week, claims the IB.
The board claims the abattoirs are well located, with an emphasis on the main production areas, so travelling times to slaughter will not increase substantially.
“Producers will continue to have access to the scheme through the network of 170 markets registered with the IB as liveweight collection centres,” said the IB.
But with the total number of OTMS abattoirs reduced by eight, some farmers now face distances of up to 150 miles, said Carol Lloyd, NFU livestock adviser.
“The change will come at the worst possible time because of the backlog that always builds up over the Christmas period,” she said.
Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall Paul Tyler has written to Nick Brown urging him to review the decision as a matter of urgency.
“The animal welfare implications are horrendous, and the EU Commission will be appalled,” he said.