New abattoir's £5m investment

Due for completion in September 2010, the new plant is being constructed for the family-run business C&K Group, near Eye, on the Suffolk/Norfolk border, and will aim to process up to 20 per cent of the region’s livestock in addition to improving animal welfare standards and reducing transport costs.

The move, which comes after eight abattoir closures in the region over the past decade, is part funded by East of England Development Association (£1.4m), through the Rural Development Programme for England.

Phase 1 – the meat cutting plant – is already in operation at the new site on Eye’s Mid-Suffolk Business Park while Phase 2, when completed, will become the largest multi-species abattoir in the region, replacing C&K’s existing Lamberts abattoir facility in the Suffolk town of Bungay.

According to business consultant and project manager, Mike Brown, C&K aims to process 147,160 head in 2010 (57,000 more than its current capacity), rising to over 220,000 in 2012. Pigs, sheep and cattle will make up the majority of processed animals but OTM cattle, cull sows and venison will also be included.

“Right now up to 38,000 pigs are finished in this part of the country, of which 15,000 are taken out of the region for slaughter,” said Mr Brown. “Cull sows in particular have to be transported as far away as Lincolnshire or Yorkshire and the new abattoir will mean better welfare standards and significantly reduced transport costs for producers.”

Rural issues and red meat campaigner, Lady Caroline Cranbrook, said an abattoir such as this was the most important part of rural economy infrastructure.

“Without it many producers, small retailers, butchers and farmers markets wouldn’t be able to exist in the future.”

• C&K is hoping to create several producer groups under the ‘Glocal Pride’ banner with a message to ‘think global, act local’.

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