The case for a network of local abattoirs has been well made, including in a recent report by The Prince’s Countryside Fund, but it may not be a realistic proposition, according to a retail butcher.

Stuart Minick, speaking at a panel session at the Scottish Smallholders’ Festival in Forfar Mart, said he did not expect to see a network of new abattoirs capable of handling hairy pigs and horned cattle.

“It is not a viable option but I think it is possible to make better use of what we have,” said Mr Minick.

“We can support existing abattoirs and encourage them to invest.”

Mr Minick, who is based in St Andrews and has nine retail outlets in Fife and Tayside, did however concede that rarer breeds had a place and that he could make a margin out of them.

“I recently handled a couple of Dexter cattle and the meat was all spoken for before the carcases arrived at the butchery,” he told the audience.

“It is very important to have a strong story to tell and it need not be about organic production.

“Most of the beef I sell comes from continental breeds from a farm only eight miles from the abattoir at Shotts. It is a good animal welfare story.”

by Ewan Pate / Farmers Guardian

The FAO’s latest Food Price Index for October indicates an increase in its international price index, up 3% on the previous month. After rising for three consecutive months, the index now stands at its highest level since July 2011. The latest increase was primarily led by strengthening in the world prices of vegetable oils and cereals.

Conversely, the FAO’s Meat Price Index in October was down by nearly 1% on September. Even though pig meat production is grain-intensive, international quotations for pig meat fell, principally underpinned by reduced purchases from China. Beef and veal prices also fell, reflecting a sharp decline in quotations for supplies from Brazil amid market uncertainly over the trading implications of BSE concerns. There were price rises for poultry and sheep meat, but these were not enough to counteract the fall for the other meats.

The FAO’s Cereal Price Index was up 3% from September and was 22% above its level one year ago. International prices of all major cereals increased month-on-month.  The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index was up by nearly 10% month-on-month, marking an all-time high.

With cereals and oilseeds prices disproportionately high relative to the price of meat, profitability will be a challenge for producers everywhere.

By Bethan Wilkins / AHDB

In July, EU pig meat exports moved clearly below the level a year earlier for the first time since December 2018, totalling 421,000 tonnes (including offal). Nonetheless, shipments for the first seven months of the year overall were still 10% higher year on year, at 3.5 million tonnes.

Looking at fresh/frozen pork alone, volumes were 17% below a year earlier in July, at 259,000 tonnes. Exports to China were again lower, now by a substantial 43% to total 105,000 tonnes. There are no signs of these shipments increasing imminently, although some increase in Chinese import demand may be seen next year.

Shipments to other Far Eastern markets were higher than July 2020, particularly volumes to Japan (+39%) and the Philippines (+103%). The EU has also been shipping a few thousand tonnes of pork to Chile each month since December 2020, a market that was previously of negligible importance. Nonetheless, these developments were not enough to offset the decline in volumes going to China.

By Bethan Wilkins / AHDB

BEIJING, Nov 8 (Reuters) – China’s meat imports in October fell from a year ago to their lowest in 20 months, customs data showed on Sunday, as cheap domestic pork cut demand for overseas supplies.

China brought in 664,000 tonnes of meat in October, down 12.8% from the same month a year ago, according to the General Administration of Customs, the lowest since February 2020.

Shipments in the first 10 months of 2021 were 8.05 million tonnes, down 1.5% from last year’s volumes, the data showed.

October imports were also down from the 694,000 tonnes brought in during September.

The largest share of China’s meat imports is pork, but domestic prices have plunged this year, after a surge in production following the devastating African swine fever epidemic outpaced demand.

By Dominique Patton / Reuters

By LaToya Harding / BBC

Hilton Food Group, which supplies Tesco with fresh food, has bought UK meat supplier Fairfax Meadows for some £23.8m.

“This transaction is all about growth,” CEO Philip Heffer explained. “Fairfax Meadow represents a great opportunity for Hilton to expand into an adjacent and growing foodservice sector in the UK.”

“We look forward to leveraging Hilton’s expertise, reputation and investment to grow and expand the Fairfax business, and we plan to offer Hilton’s broad product range, including sous vide, seafood and alternative protein products, to Fairfax’s customers.”

The group’s European revenues were “relatively flat” in the quarter, the group said in a statement, which signalled the post-lockdown boom of eating out.

While the group’s slow cooked business has continued to grow in the UK as well as central Europe, which will have bolstered its trading relationship with supermarket giant Tesco.

The move could pave the way for a revenue boost, similar to the impacts of Australian business growth last year.

Hilton Food took home £2.7bn last year, as the growth underpinned a revenue boost of 52.9 per cent.

by Millie Turner / City A.M.

Oct 27 (Reuters) – Shipments of Brazilian beef have been stopped from entering China due to an embargo in place since two cases of mad cow disease were reported in the South American nation in early September, frustrating exporters who had hoped shipments certified before the embargo would be free to pass.

Industry sources and analysts told Reuters the continuing embargo, which came into place on Sept. 4, risks forcing shipments that are already arriving in China to be redirected to markets such as Iran and Vietnam.

The shipments are arriving at Chinese ports despite the embargo partly because exporters had expected it to only last about 15 days, the time a similar suspension lasted in 2019. But this embargo has lasted longer – now over 50 days.

The suspension is a major blow for Brazilian farmers and meatpackers with China and Hong Kong buying more than half of Brazil’s beef exports.

By Nayara Figueiredo / Reuters

The vast majority of the UK’s major retailers have committed to backing British pork in response to an open letter calling for more support as the sector experiences the worst crisis in recent times.

All the big retailers have now responded to the letter, sent by the National Pig Association (NPA) earlier this month, urging them to prioritise British pork over EU product.

The supermarkets have generally sought to reassure that they are backing the industry, with continued commitments to British pork and efforts to address the labour shortage across the supply chain and to ease the pig backlog.

The letter called on retailers to help resolve the pig backlog by not turning to cheaper EU pork, particularly where it diverts essential butchery staff away from UK product.

“We are also aware that some previously supportive retailers are now considering moving over to EU pork because it is much cheaper,” NPA Chairman Richard Mutimer said.

Falling EU prices have made imported pork more attractive to retailers, and official government trade data suggests UK pork import volumes have been increasing since the summer, after being well below 2020 levels in the first part of the year.

Describing the impact of the backlog of pigs on farms and warning of more welfare culling, Mr Mutimer said: “I am therefore asking for you to help us by prioritising British pork through the plants and diverting butchery staff back to British pigs so we can get the throughputs back to where they need to be.”

The vast majority of the UK’s major retailers have committed to backing British pork in response to the open letter.

A response from Asda said: “Asda is committed to assisting our pork supplier, Cranswick, and their British farming suppliers in this difficult period for the sector.

“We have highlighted British pork product to help drive awareness and consumption with our customers.”

by Farming UK

Trading Standards and the red meat sector say they have taken ‘immediate action’ after imported Australian beef was mislabelled as Welsh in origin.

The case of meat mislabelling, widely reported on social media in recent days, was found in Llechwedd Meats, located in North Wales.

Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) and local Trading Standards officers in Anglesey visited the premises on Monday (18 October) to investigate.

Labelling errors were identified which would account for beef of Australian origin being mistakenly contained in packaging with the PGI Welsh Beef label.

In order to qualify and be labelled as Welsh Beef, the cattle must have been born and reared in Wales, be fully traceable, and be processed in a HCC-approved facility which is subject to regular audits.

HCC chief executive, Gwyn Howells said mislabelling meat was taken ‘very seriously, although ‘thankfully rare’.

“In this instance a packaging error was identified and we are reassured that measures have been put in place to prevent a recurrence,” he said.

by Farming UK

The government announced extra visas following warnings that up to 150,000 pigs could be killed as ‘waste’

There is “relief all round” in the pork industry after the Government announced an extra 800 visas for foreign butchers.

The sector has called for more action to solve the problem of labour shortages long-term.

Experts have attributed staff shortages in the industry to an “inherent lack of interest” from UK workers as it struggles to attract new recruits, they continued that many people find it “off-putting”.

The Government announced the extra visas on Thursday following warnings that up to 150,000 pigs could be killed as “waste” due to an increasing backlog of animals ready to be slaughtered.

Overseas pork butchers will be eligible to apply for six-month visas from the existing allocation in the Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme up until December 31.

Mike Sheldon, pork sector board chair of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Mike Sheldon, said the additional workers will make a “significant difference” to stretched workforces.

He continued: “It’s caused relief all round. I don’t think you’ll find any negative comment about it from within the industry at all.

“The situation was getting very real and very serious so we are relieved.

by George McMillan / GB News