Situation at the meat plant 'did not develop overnight'

Manx National Farmers Union issues statement in response to audit report

Manx farmers have "consistently raised concerns" about the Island's Meat Plant over the past few years.

That's according to the Manx National Farmers Union, which has released a statement regarding a recent audit done of the plant.

In it, the union says it welcomes "the DEFA Minister's commitment to rectifying the problems" at the plant.

The environment, food and agriculture minister will face questions in Tynwald today regarding the future of the business.

MNFU president Ean Parsons says persistent issues place financial pressure on the industry, which in turn affects farmers' mental health.

He added that the many issues outlined in the report need to be sorted, to help rectify a cash shortage within the industry:

The MNFU's statement in full states: "As the Manx National Farmers Union, we welcome the DEFA Minister’s commitment to rectifying the problems of the Meat Plant and believe that it is crucial that this commitment is carried out in its entirety. The Meat Plant is essential on the Isle of Man both for our food security and for the farming industry to have a route to market for their produce. 

"Three years ago, the Manx National Farmers Union were told by the then Chairman that ‘operational issues of the Meat Plant were none of your concern’. Since then, we have solely concentrated on the producer’s ability to get stock into the Plant and receive an equivalent payment level to UK producers. During the last three years, we have consistently raised concerns with both the Plant Management team, Directors, and DEFA about the long lead-in times for producers to sell stock, especially during the autumn-winter period. At present, if a producer offers cattle into the Plant this week, they will not receive payment for those animals until February 2023. This is totally unacceptable and has created a cashflow crisis within the industry. The pricing structure based on the AHDB is essential for the industry, yet it is not recognised within the report that the farmer doesn’t receive this level of payment in real terms. We have around 6% (24p/kg) deducted from that price by the Plant to distribute the meat to its customers and to pay for marketing, though it clearly shows there’s been nowhere near enough of that done. 

"Ultimate responsibility for the current situation sits at the door of the DEFA Minister, Chairman, Directors, and Senior Management. Farmers are facing last minute cancellations, even after waiting eight weeks for booking, and the Plant no longer has the staffing resources to cope.  This situation did not develop overnight, and many of the issues appear to have gone unresolved for some time. Now we are witnessing farms struggle with livestock that they must feed into winter, debilitating cashflow situations, and our Islands retailers cannot get Manx Meat. It is imperative that the Board of Isle of Man Meats take immediate and decisive action to prevent any further damage to the industry. Staff at the Plant must be supported properly in their essential role, and the work they are doing in these extremely difficult circumstances must be respected.

"The Birnie Report has recognised the high quality of the stock presented to the Plant. This surely reinforces the importance of supporting local produce and not taking the premium standard achieved by producers for granted.

"We remain committed to working with the Minister and her team to try and rectify the significant issues at the Plant to help provide a fantastic product to the Manx consumer, and to deliver an essential route to market for the farming industry."