FUNDING is now available to boost sustainability and efficiency of red meat and poultry smaller abattoirs across England.

The government launched the £4 million Smaller Abattoir Fund on Wednesday, December 13.

According to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the smaller abattoir sector has an important role in maintaining British food security.

The abattoirs make it easier for farmers to get their products to market, protect animal welfare by maintaining reduced journey times to slaughter, provide a route to market for farmers who rear rare and native breeds, and offer wider social and economic benefits to rural communities.

The Smaller Abattoir Fund will award capital grants from £2,000 up to a maximum of £60,000.

The fund will help improve productivity, enhance animal health and welfare, add value to primary products and encourage innovation and investment in new technologies.

It will also support the purchase of a diverse range of capital investments such as cold storage units which can expand refrigeration capacity for processing, allowing abattoirs to increase production rates and help remove the waiting times experienced my numerous farmers for getting stock processed.

John Mettrick, chair of the Abattoir Sector Group, said: “I am delighted that the Smaller Abattoir Fund has launched. This demonstrates that the government recognises the importance of small abattoirs to farmers, butchers, and the whole rural supply chains.

“This fund has been developed by Defra, the Food Standards Agency, the Abattoir Sector Group and the meat industry working together, and I would urge abattoir businesses to take advantage of the fund to help develop their businesses for the future.”

Susan Jebb, chair of the Food Standards Agency, added: “The Food Standards Agency recognises the challenges faced by small abattoirs and has collaborated with Defra on the development of the Smaller Abattoir Fund.

“We are keen to support the use of the fund to improve efficiency, productivity, animal welfare and innovation in this greatly valued and important sector.”

The application window for the Smaller Abattoir Fund will remain open for nine months and abattoirs will be able to submit up to three applications up to the maximum funding level of £60,000.