NFU urges action as small abattoirs disappear from rural Britain

Britain’s shrinking network of small abattoirs is leaving livestock farmers with fewer routes to market and raising fresh concerns over the future of local meat supply chains, the NFU has warned.

The union hosted a parliamentary roundtable this week to highlight the mounting pressures facing small and medium-sized abattoirs, which it said should be treated as critical food system infrastructure.

Cross-party MPs attended the event, which focused on the rapid decline of smaller abattoirs and the impact closures are having on farmers, rural businesses and independent food supply chains.

The NFU said the total number of abattoirs in the UK fell below 200 in 2024, with smaller plants continuing to face rising costs and increasing regulatory pressure.

It said the loss of local abattoirs risks longer livestock journeys, fewer choices for farmers and weaker local food networks.

MPs heard that these businesses play a vital role in supporting pubs, butchers, local markets and farm businesses, including through services such as private kills.

The roundtable was sponsored by Gregory Stafford, Conservative MP for Farnham and Bordon.

The union said local abattoirs are closely linked to the livestock sector and provide farmers with alternative routes to market outside larger, more consolidated processors.

It argued that further closures could leave livestock producers with fewer options, longer supply chains and greater dependence on centralised processing facilities.

Closures have been driven by a combination of rising costs, including official controls, energy bills and waste disposal charges, as well as the growing burden of red tape.

Smaller plants are often hit particularly hard because many of the costs linked to inspection, regulation and compliance cannot easily be spread across large volumes of livestock.

The NFU said abattoirs are subject to inspections from a range of regulators and agencies, including the Environment Agency, Trading Standards, planning authorities, the Rural Payments Agency and environmental health officers.

MPs were told that this complex regulatory system can create practical problems for businesses, including inconsistent or contradictory inspections.

NFU Vice-president Robyn Munt, national Livestock Board Chair David Barton, Livestock Board Vice-chair Clare Wise and NFU Cymru Livestock Board Chair Robert Lewis set out the union’s calls for government action.

The union is urging ministers to reduce pressure on smaller abattoirs and create a more streamlined regulatory system.

It also raised concerns over recent increases in the Food Standards Agency’s charging rates for official controls in abattoirs.

A High Court challenge led by the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, and supported by the NFU, found the charging rates to be unlawful and the breakdown of charges insufficiently transparent.

The NFU has called for an independent review of how the FSA sets its charges, manages its workforce and uses third-party contractors.

It said the industry accepts the need for official controls, but expects fairness and value for money.

MPs also heard examples of products being signed off for export through FSA official control processes, only to be rejected at borders, causing financial losses and trade disruption.

NFU representatives said structural reform of the FSA, alongside greater use of technology in abattoirs, could help improve efficiency and reduce costs for the red meat sector.

They pointed to potential technologies such as AI-driven post-mortem inspections.

The union also said the FSA should help improve the sharing of inspection results from abattoirs to primary producers, known as CCIR, to support productivity on farm.

The NFU said it would continue working with MPs and government to ensure small abattoirs remain part of local food systems and independent supply chains.

It also called on the FSA to act quickly to correct its unlawful charging structures.

The NFU said urgent action was needed to prevent more local abattoirs disappearing from Britain’s livestock supply chain.