Rural campaigners have warned that any increase in Food Standards Agency's charges could 'decimate' the small abattoir revival effort.
The FSA, the UK's food safety regulator, has issued a call to evidence in relation to its charging structure for official controls (OC) in abattoirs.
Official veterinarians and meat hygiene inspectors inspect every animal and carcase to ensure regulations are complied with and that the meat is fit for human consumption.
Charges are currently discounted according to the number of hours involved so that smaller abattoir businesses, which require fewer hours regulation, receive a greater discount.
But the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) said an increase in these charges would create a 'major new challenge' in the ongoing effort to reverse the decline of the UK's abattoir network.
There are now just over 200 abattoirs left in the country, following a huge decline from about 2,500 in the 1970s.
Over the past year, the collaborative effort to reverse the decline has been supported through government policies such as the Small Abattoir Fund.
However, RBST chief executive, Christopher Price said it was crucial that smaller abattoirs continued to receive this discount on the cost of FSA regulation.
“A robust and resilient local abattoir network, capable of processing small numbers of different species and breeds, is vital for the sustainable livestock sector, particularly those farmers and smallholders keeping native breeds.
“Reducing or removing the discount would put even greater pressure on already struggling businesses, posing a serious challenge to ongoing efforts to reverse the decline in the small abattoir network."
The move would also have a serious impact on farmers and food producers more generally, Mr Price said, who would inevitably see a consequential increase in their costs.
“There are of course also the animal welfare implications of longer journey times if farmers have to take their animals to more distant abattoirs," he added.
"We urge the new Defra ministerial team to ensure that the important progress being made is not decimated by an increase in FSA charges.”
