New Defra farm minister backs small, local abattoirs
© UK Parliament New Defra farming minister Mark Spencer has voiced his support for small abattoirs, saying they have a key role to play in local food economies and that government is working to reduce the burden of regulation on them.
Attending a Westminster Hall debate on local food infrastructure on Thursday (8 September) – his first official outing since being appointed to his new position at Defra – the minister heard some impassioned pleas for more government help for small abattoirs.
See also: Glossop abattoir to close after 100 years of business
Conservative MP for Meon Valley Flick Drummond said labour availability was one issue, but added: “If we want to reduce food miles and support local food, we have to help abattoirs.”
“As the regulations increase, their margins decrease, as does investment. If abattoirs can’t invest and modernise, then small local abattoirs risk their entire existence.”
Shadow farming minister Daniel Zeichner pointed to the recent closure of Mettrick’s abattoir in Glossop, Derbyshire as an example of the troubles facing the sector. This had further implications for regenerative agriculture, he added.
“It is clear, when you talk to people who want to return to mixed farming, that without that local facility, it’s hard to raise livestock in the way that they would like to,” he said.
Support
In response, Mr Spencer pledged to continue supporting and promoting local food businesses, adding that he recognised the role small abattoirs play in local rural economies.
“Representing a constituency in Nottinghamshire, I can tell the chamber that there is no longer an abattoir in the whole of Nottinghamshire,” he said. “Farmers have to travel outside of the county to access that sort of facility, and I know it is the same in many other counties.
“We are working with the Food Standards Agency and the Rural Payments Agency to streamline the administrative burden, and our Defra small abattoir working group is engaging closely with the industry to ensure we take a strategic view of the issues the sector is facing.”
What else did Mark Spencer say?
On solar panels: “Land use will move increasingly up the political agenda. I share the view (of Roger Gale, MP for North Thanet) that the first priority should be to put solar panels on houses, on schools and leisure centres before we take agricultural land out of food production.”
On food security: “Our high degree of food security is built on a supply of diverse sources, including strong domestic production, as well as imports through stable trade routes, We produce 61% of all the food we need, and 74% of the food we can grow within the UK.”
On supply chain fairness: “The government wants all farmers to get a fair price for their products and we’re committed to tackling contractual fairness in the agrifood supply chain. There is a lot of debate about the Groceries Code Adjudicator, which has been a factor in making sure that those in the retail sector conduct themselves in the right way.”
On labour availability: “We know that labour is a critical part of our mission both nationally and locally to support food producers. It was announced in the government food strategy that we have commissioned an independent review to tackle labour shortages in the food supply chain. The review will consider how automation may help.”