Farmers who require ‘private kill’ services in Scotland, and the abattoirs providing them, face a variety of challenges and hurdles, a new report has concluded.
A survey of Scottish producers who utilise private kill services is included in the report, as well as interviews with representatives from Scottish abattoirs providing private kill services.
Key recommendations emerged from the outputs of the survey, which the industry hopes could address the vulnerability of private kill services across Scotland.
Around 40% of farmer respondents said the constricted nature of the private kill abattoir network limited what they could process.
Welfare concerns due to travel times, traceability, and communication, were also highlighted as issues.
The survey found that limited access to butchery services affects the ability of producers to supply added-value product into local supply chains.
The report was conducted by the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS) on behalf of the Small Producers’ Pilot Fund Steering Group.
It found that undertaking private kill was not the main focus for most of the mainland abattoir facilities and they often found it challenging to service this market.
Demand, location, difficulty in employing and retaining a skilled workforce, and operating structure were also key challenges to running viable abattoirs for private kill.
Responding to the findings, SAOS’s Fergus Younger said that collaborative working - between producers, abattoirs, and butchery operators - was vital to addressing the challenges of servicing the private kill market.
He said: "Improving co-ordination in throughput could not only improve the economics of existing facilities but could offer the producer a simpler route to access abattoir services.
"The steering group is keen that assistance be focused on the areas of greatest need and improve the options for producers looking to utilise these facilities.”
Scotland's Agriculture Minister, Jim Fairlie, said an analysis of the research's data was now underway which the Scottish government would use to inform future decisions.
“Small producers are a crucial lynchpin of our rural economy and it is vital that we improve their access to Scotland’s wider food supply chain.
"This will help bolster our food security whilst improving fairness for our small rural businesses."
Following the report, SAOS has been working with Mull slaughterhouse, based on the Isle of Mull, to trial whether additional private kill co-ordination support could help producers secure better access and help the abattoir operate a more efficient business.
Similarly, SAOS has been working with Munro’s of Dingwall to help to understand the costs associated with servicing the private kill sector.
