Sheep farmers have called for small and low throughput abattoirs to be protected from closure amid Covid-19 and its impact on the food supply chain.
Localised meat supply chains retailing through farm shops, butchers, and home deliveries have provided a 'service' to customers during lockdown.
This is according to the National Sheep Association (NSA), which has welcomed a new report - released earlier this week - on the future of small abattoirs in the UK.
Figures show that a third of small abattoirs have closed in the last ten years alone - with only 62 now left in the UK.
The most recent closure was only two weeks ago and many more are thought to be on the brink, struggling for survival.
The NSA said the report was 'crucial' as it came at a time when 'big decisions' were being made regarding food and farming policy.
It said small abattoirs and localised meat supply chains 'added value, retained margins, and created a close relationship with the public, for producers'.
NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said: "Many farm shops have reported meat sales up by a factor of three or four during this period.
"There are clear opportunities to be gained by holding onto this growth as we move forward, and potentially growing further.”
The group said it was 'concerned' that this 'thriving area' would not be able to sustain without use of smaller and local abattoirs.
Mr Stocker added: “This can’t be done without sufficient abattoir facilities that provide a high quality and affordable local service.
"There is no doubt that most people who choose to buy their meat locally also want to see the entire supply chain as local as possible."
The report highlights key actions that need to be taken to retain, and expand where appropriate, abattoirs facilities.
As a step to achieving this, the report recommended that abattoirs are recognised in the Agriculture Bill, which has its second reading in the House of Lords this week.
Other recommendations include a regulatory framework that is appropriate to the size of the business, a Competition Inquiry into the waste collection market, support for apprenticeships and training, a local food label to showcase provenance and support for mobile abattoirs.
“With many small and low throughput abattoirs having been lost, and those remaining still under immense pressure, the only thing more crucial than this report is to get its recommendations implemented quickly,” Mr Stocker said.
