Meat charges decision is good news

Food Standards Agency (FSA) has confirmed that a proposed four percent increase in meat hygiene charges in abattoirs will not go ahead this autumn - as a result of pressure from NFU Cymru, UK government ministers and others in the meat trade.

The FSA will proceed with the introduction of regulations for a new system of calculating charges for official controls in meat plants in September following agreement by Ministers in all four UK countries. The new system will base charges on the time involved in the inspection process at meat businesses. If the inspection time remains unchanged, meat businesses will not now face an increase in the charges they pay when time-based charging is introduced and, for some, charges could be lower for those businesses where the inspection time is reduced.

NFU Cymru voiced its concern that any increase in inspection charges would have been wholly inappropriate in the current economic climate and that any increased cost on plants, particularly in Wales’ smaller or more remote abattoirs, could have further reduced the nation’s meat processing capacity.

Ed Rees, NFU Cymru Livestock Board Chairman said, "We are delighted that the FSA has taken on board our concerns about the damage that significant hikes in inspection charges could have brought to the Welsh meat sector. The support and recognition on this issue from the Ministers in the four UK countries, is most welcome."