Small abattoirs have long been a crucial part of Welsh agriculture. However, recent years have seen a startling loss of small and local abattoirs in Wales, posing a threat to sustainable farming, biodiversity restoration, Wales’ circular economy and animal welfare.

The extent of the decline was highlighted in recent statistics, documenting just fifteen abattoirs in Wales, compared to the 58 red meat abattoirs we had in 1990. This drastic decline in numbers has reportedly been due to high running costs, excessive paperwork and the burden of regulation. Of the remaining abattoirs, few are able to provide all of the services farmers need to sell directly to local consumers, such as butchering, packaging, processing small numbers of animals, multi-species animals, having organic certification, and the ability to deal with horned animals or those ‘over thirty months’. Similarly, there is only one slaughterhouse in Wales which has a ‘contract’ to receive Bovine TB reactors, creating lengthy journeys and additional stress to both the animal and the farmer experiencing a bTB breakdown.

This decline is particularly concerning as abattoirs have long been an essential enabler in supporting Wales’ circular economy - ensuring Welsh produce produced to high environmental standards can be marketed as such. The fact that Australian and New Zealand lamb imports have increased by 78%, at the same time that farmers in Wales are struggling to sell their produce locally, makes no sense. Such a situation undermines the efforts farmers are making to enhance biodiversity, nutritional value, and low carbon produce sold to Welsh consumers, as well as the integrity of Welsh Lamb and Beef’s ‘Protected Geographical Indication’ status.

With growing uncertainty about the future of the Welsh abattoirs the FUW, alongside 7 agricultural and environmental organisations, wrote to the Welsh Government highlighting the situation and calling for greater support for our declining local abattoir infrastructure.

Amidst our demands are a desire to see the Welsh Government providing additional support to abattoirs in light of increased and burdensome regulation, running costs and veterinary capacity issues. The letter also urges the Government to ensure the Food Standards Agency small abattoir discount is maintained, that they recognise the abattoir network as ‘critical infrastructure for Wales’, and work with industry to explore solutions such as capital grant schemes. The FUW looks forward to finding solutions to this issue by working with the Welsh Government and the wider industry.