The rate of abattoir closures has hit 10% per year, according to the Food Standards Agency – a key concern for respondents to a new survey highlighting how much the killing trade is contracting.

A survey of more than 1300 farming and food businesses across the UK found that local abattoirs provided a vital service, with 88% of respondents stating their closest abattoir is either 'essential' or 'important' to the success of their business, whilst 64% felt that the availability, or lack of availability, of a local abattoir impacted their future business plans.

The reduction in abattoir numbers had left those who use them reliant on only a handful of remaining operators, creating a fragile system that is vulnerable to collapse, said the report.

The survey, carried out by the Sustainable Food Trust and National Craft Butchers, highlighted the many benefits small and local abattoirs could bring, with respondents ranking animal welfare, the local economy and the environment as chief amongst these.

Journey times had now increased significantly, with some animals travelling more than 200 miles to slaughter. Respondents also reported that many of the remaining smaller abattoirs were increasingly busy and difficult to book into. These factors had combined to force some businesses to close or limit their operations.

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Remote and island communities had been particularly affected. One farmer on Orkney said: “Since Orkney abattoir closed in 2018, the situation here is dire – most of the free-range rare breed pig farmers have closed down.

"The next nearest abattoir costs us more than £250 just for the ferry taking a trailer that can hold a maximum of 20 sheep, then there is the 30-mile drive to the port and the 110-mile drive to Dingwall.”

A number of respondents were clear that their business was entirely dependent on their local abattoir. One respondent said: “If this one closed, we would lose our business,” and another said “we are very lucky but if it shut, I would have to stop livestock farming as the nearest would be too far away.”

More than 30 respondents used an abattoir which has closed down since the survey was conducted. One customer of Tottingworth abattoir, which closed last year, said: “Without a local abattoir a major part of our local livestock sales will disappear. In the South-east [of England] there are so few abattoirs left that losing any more would prevent sales and increase food miles.”

The survey showed that the average distance to slaughter for the UK as a whole was 31 miles, with an approximate journey time of 50 minutes. The average distance in both England and Wales is 26 miles, with the journey taking 42 and 44 minutes, respectively.

Scotland’s average distance and journey time is considerably longer at 54 miles and 90 minutes. This highlighted that abattoir provision in Scotland was spread much more thinly and that journeys could be more challenging, often requiring travel along single track and winding roads or the use of ferries, in the case of those respondents based on islands.

Nearly three-quarters of abattoir users thought abattoirs were good value for money. Only 1% thought they were cheap and one respondent said they would be willing to pay more for a more local abattoir, while a quarter thought they were expensive.

The survey showed that farmers and food businesses were keen to find solutions, with 64% saying they would be interested in co-operative-owned abattoirs and 81% expressing an interest in mobile abattoirs, with 73% saying they would pay more for this service. There was also interest in doing more with their products, as 33% said they would collect the hides and skins if they had access to further processing facilities.

To revitalise the sector, however, the Government needed a multi-pronged approach to address the problems that are leading to closures, concluded the report.

Megan Perry, head of policy and campaigns at the Sustainable Food Trust, said: “This survey highlighted that a diverse network of abattoirs throughout the UK is vital to farms of all sizes and to the viability of local meat businesses. We welcomed the Government’s announcement of funding for the sector, earlier this year.

"However, for this fund to have the impact that is needed, it must be accessible, broad and with a long timeframe, and it must be implemented alongside work to address other issues including regulation, recruitment and waste disposal costs. We will work with the Abattoir Sector Group and Defra’s Small Abattoir Working Group in progressing solutions to these issues.”

Eleanor O’Brien, managing director at National Craft Butchers, said: “Alongside funding, the Government needs to implement flexibilities that already exist within regulation, specifically including the 5% rule, that will help smaller abattoirs to increase productivity, expand and thrive.

"Without this two-fold approach, the small abattoir sector will continue to stagnate, with severe consequences for farmers, animal welfare and supply chain diversity and resilience,” she added.