How difficult is it to do on farm slaughter in the UK at a small scale?
What I mean is, do laws exist that prevent a smallholder from slaughtering his own pigs for his own use or does legislation only kick in when it comes to the intention to sell food to others?
n the UK you can slaughter your own pigs on farm for your own personal consumption. The legislation prevents any intention to sell or supply meat to others, unless then you’re into approved premises, inspection, hygiene regs and traceability.
So on farm slaughter isn’t a legal route to selling meat locally, even at tiny scale. That’s why small abattoirs matter so much, they’re the missing infrastructure that makes high welfare, local meat viable.
A few yrs ago I visited a fab organic farm nr Palma in Italy with cattle and pigs. They raise their heritage breed pigs to 2 years and the meat is cured for charcuterie - not wanting to ruin the meat by going to a large-scale commercial abattoir, they set up their own onfarm abattoir - took a lot of paperwork but they succeeded - such a great set up and it didn't actually cost a lot - such a shame we dont see more such schemes in UK
Sounds like an ideal set up. I do envy the Italians, they value heritage and traditional way of doing things over commercial viability. I’d love to see more full cycle system like this in the UK. Laverstock farm local to us has its own abattoir, it use to be open for local farmers but now they only process their own livestock. Although I heard rumours it was going to be closed… Shame
There was a slaughter cooperative formed here in Saskatchewan a couple of years ago. So far they’re doing ok, but government regulation is a huge concern here, too.
I don’t know much about farming policy in Canada or the challenges you’re facing. But I’ve come to realise we’re all facing similar battles globally. Fingers crossed the cooperative weathers the storm…
I think your right Ian, the vote for the countryside is certainly one all the parties are fighting for except Labour. I think Labour have realised their fate will come at the next election and just trying to do as much damage as possible before they’re out..
Farmers I know set out really early in the morning, so that when their stock finally reaches the abattoir, it is at least processed first, without the added stress of waiting for hours in busy lairage.
Surely the opportunity exists for more mobile abattoirs, perhaps even a franchise so that good slaughtermen and butchers can set up on their own more easily? Or could a farming community crowdfund to buy a shared mobile abattoir and hire an operator?
There is a huge issue around mobile abattoirs in this country. We do actually have 1 but it’s not what you would consider mobile. The issue also being that they aren’t suitable for multi species slaughter and not actually able to be mobile because every site visited would have to be FSA registered. I touched more on mobile slaughter units in my post:
How difficult is it to do on farm slaughter in the UK at a small scale?
What I mean is, do laws exist that prevent a smallholder from slaughtering his own pigs for his own use or does legislation only kick in when it comes to the intention to sell food to others?
n the UK you can slaughter your own pigs on farm for your own personal consumption. The legislation prevents any intention to sell or supply meat to others, unless then you’re into approved premises, inspection, hygiene regs and traceability.
So on farm slaughter isn’t a legal route to selling meat locally, even at tiny scale. That’s why small abattoirs matter so much, they’re the missing infrastructure that makes high welfare, local meat viable.
I wrote more about the abattoir side of this here if it’s useful: https://www.memypigsandi.com/p/hampshires-last-abattoir
A few yrs ago I visited a fab organic farm nr Palma in Italy with cattle and pigs. They raise their heritage breed pigs to 2 years and the meat is cured for charcuterie - not wanting to ruin the meat by going to a large-scale commercial abattoir, they set up their own onfarm abattoir - took a lot of paperwork but they succeeded - such a great set up and it didn't actually cost a lot - such a shame we dont see more such schemes in UK
Sounds like an ideal set up. I do envy the Italians, they value heritage and traditional way of doing things over commercial viability. I’d love to see more full cycle system like this in the UK. Laverstock farm local to us has its own abattoir, it use to be open for local farmers but now they only process their own livestock. Although I heard rumours it was going to be closed… Shame
There was a slaughter cooperative formed here in Saskatchewan a couple of years ago. So far they’re doing ok, but government regulation is a huge concern here, too.
https://www.producer.com/livestock/abattoir-offers-new-market-options/
I don’t know much about farming policy in Canada or the challenges you’re facing. But I’ve come to realise we’re all facing similar battles globally. Fingers crossed the cooperative weathers the storm…
Until you get a Government that doesn't actively hate the countryside and small farmers, I fear progress will be slow.
And DEFRA are more useless than a useless thing whatever Government are in power.
I think your right Ian, the vote for the countryside is certainly one all the parties are fighting for except Labour. I think Labour have realised their fate will come at the next election and just trying to do as much damage as possible before they’re out..
Farmers I know set out really early in the morning, so that when their stock finally reaches the abattoir, it is at least processed first, without the added stress of waiting for hours in busy lairage.
Surely the opportunity exists for more mobile abattoirs, perhaps even a franchise so that good slaughtermen and butchers can set up on their own more easily? Or could a farming community crowdfund to buy a shared mobile abattoir and hire an operator?
There is a huge issue around mobile abattoirs in this country. We do actually have 1 but it’s not what you would consider mobile. The issue also being that they aren’t suitable for multi species slaughter and not actually able to be mobile because every site visited would have to be FSA registered. I touched more on mobile slaughter units in my post:
https://www.memypigsandi.com/p/hampshires-last-abattoir?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email