Abattoirs need more retail cash

“In all my time in the meat industry, I’ve never experienced such a sustained period of difficulty for the processing sector,” said Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers president Allan Jess.

“While as an association we appreciate the importance of maintaining the value-for- money appeal of meat to consumers, it has become increasingly obvious that retail prices for meat are currently lagging behind input costs. This is placing an enormous strain on the meat chain, particularly those businesses which face rising input costs without an equivalent increase in wholesale income. As a result, some staff have already been laid off by meat businesses. This however will be the tip of the iceberg unless a more balanced sharing of meat sector incomes is achieved in the very near future,” said Mr Jess.