Small abattoirs, and those dealing with organically reared animals, could be the latest casualties of the farming crisis if increases in hygiene charges are imposed by the Government.

The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) is proposing increases in the frequency of abattoir inspections and a rise in their cost. These charges could affect small and medium-sized abattoirs, some of which are approved by the Soil Association to deal with organically-reared animals.

"Small abattoirs get a raw deal in this new shake-up," said Richard Kirk, proprietor of George A Kirk and Sons' abattoir in Nunnington.

Mr Kirk explained how his abattoir, which is approved by the Soil Association, only slaughters about ten animals, one day a week. During this procedure a vet has to be present at a charge of £35 an hour.

The current system of paying for the inspectors relies on an estimated length of time it should take to slaughter the animals. This is easier to do for larger, mechanised abattoirs but, claims Mr Kirk, the system is not fair on the small abattoirs who operate manually.

"A 'headage' payment, where you pay per animal, would be fairer," said Mr Kirk.

The Soil Association is so alarmed at the Government's proposals that it has launched a report, titled The Threat to the Developing Organic Meat Market from Increased Inspection Charges by the Meat Hygiene Service.

It claims that over the past ten years, 1,000 abattoirs have closed and that if the charges are implemented only 75 will be left in the next two years. The Soil Association is also claiming that costs will increase by between 200 and 6,000 per cent.

The association claims this will not only affect the organic market. Pressure is placed on farmers to transport their animals as little as possible for welfare reasons. If more abattoirs close, it will be necessary to travel to abattoirs further away.

At the launch of the report today, Jonathan Dimbleby, President of the Soil Association and an organic beef farmer himself, said: "The great success of organic meat farming, which stands in such stark contrast to the depressed conventional livestock industry, is now in grave danger of coming to a tragic end if local abattoirs and small meat processors are forced out of business by punitive inspection charges and ever-increasing red tape."

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