Welfare slaughter system struggles

28 March 2001



Welfare slaughter system struggles

By Alistair Driver

THE Intervention Board is struggling to meet demand from hundreds of farmers wanting livestock slaughtered because of animal welfare problems.

Some 1500 farmers a day are phoning a slaughter hotline asking about the Livestock Welfare Disposal Scheme set up because of foot-and-mouth disease.

The scheme aims to remove healthy animals suffering welfare problems caused by livestock movement restrictions imposed in a bid to halt the disease.

Some 14 abattoirs signed up to the initiative when it was launched last week. But none had slaughtered any livestock by 09.30 on Wednesday (28 March).

A spokeswoman for the Intervention Board, which is overseeing the scheme, said the 30-phone call centre had been inundated with inquiries from producers.

“Farmers are absolutely desperate,” she said.

The board was trying its best, but callers were slowing things down by repeatedly phoning to check the progress of inquiries, the spokeswoman claimed.

Farmers will receive about 90% market value for slaughtered animals.

Agriculture minister Nick Brown has said that the scheme will cost the government more than its initial estimate of 150 million during its first few days.

Addressing MPs in the House of Commons on Tuesday (27 March), Mr Brown said the cost is now likely to be in excess of 200m.

National Sheep Association chief executive John Thorley said he was awar of backlogs. He added: “There have been some problems caused by bureaucracy.”

Shaun Leavey, south-east director of the National Farmers Union NFU said a local sheep abattoir closed since the crisis started should now be reopened.

Invicta Lamb, based at Lamberhurst in Kent, laid off its 80 staff on 21 February and is now in danger of going out of business altogether.

Mr Leavey said more than 200 farmers relied on the abattoir. “It is crucial that we do not forefeit our infrastructure for when foot-and-mouth is eradicated.”

Invicta bosses said that the Intervention Board had yet to respond to a request from the company to be included in the scheme.