The British abattoir industry faces an urgent need for government intervention to halt its decline, which is exacerbated by falling farm production, increasingly stringent trade barriers, and a persistent labour shortage.
Data from the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) reveals a dramatic reduction in abattoir numbers, plummeting from approximately 2,500 in the 1970s to a mere 203 today.
The BMPA warns that this trend should raise significant concern among both UK consumers and government officials, as the industry approaches a “tipping point where we don’t have a viable abattoir industry.” Such a scenario could precipitate a sharper decline in domestic farming, increase reliance on imported meat, and severely undermine a critical pillar of UK food security.
Furthermore, the BMPA made what it acknowledged might be a “contentious statement”: “but the meat processing industry can survive without British livestock. If necessary, British meat processors could replace meat from UK reared animals with imported meat, and just focus on processing and packaging products for sale.”
In stark contrast, British livestock farmers cannot thrive without a robust network of abattoirs.
It is evident that if current trends persist, the UK risks dismantling a vital component of national infrastructure, thereby jeopardizing the country’s food security. Increased reliance on foreign sources subjects the UK to uncontrollable external risks such as wars, climate-induced shortages, and sudden export bans, as emphasized by the BMPA.
The association also highlighted potential threats to the UK dairy industry, noting that both meat and dairy sectors depend on a well-functioning domestic abattoir framework. All dairy cows, after their production cycle, ultimately transition through a UK abattoir.
The newly released Meat Industry Manifesto articulates what a resilient and effectively functioning meat supply chain should encompass. It further examines the ramifications of government policy across various domains—including trade, workforce, and regulation—and proposes actionable solutions to address the highlighted issues.
Nick Allen, CEO of the British Meat Processors Association, elaborates: “Since we left the EU, the British meat industry has come under pressure from increased bureaucracy, tougher trade barriers, and worker shortages. Government policy has played a dominant role and shaped the current trading environment. However, many policy decisions have been made in a departmental vacuum, without a full understanding of their impacts and unintended consequences on different parts of the food chain. Often, one problem is fixed, only to create another.”
“We see the election of a new Labour government as an opportunity to re-set how government and industry work together to share on-the-ground intelligence that will help shape pragmatic, workable policies that strengthen Britain’s long-term food security. Our Meat Industry Manifesto sets out that ideal big picture and offers practical solutions to achieve it.”
