DEFA in conjunction with IOM Meats invites the agricultural industry to a briefing on the recently concluded review of options for the Meat Plant and to give feedback on the proposed next steps
Venue: St. John's Primary School, Station Road.
Date: Thursday 9 February 2017
Time: 7pm
As numbers are limited, please contact stephanie.halsall@gov.im (+44 1624 686045) to reserve a place at this meeting.
Background
At the request of the Board of IOM Meats, the need to look at different, more efficient and entrepreneurial delivery options for the supply of local meat was suggested, acknowledging that progress against funding targets was not being achieved.
In June 2016, DEFA appointed an industry expert to review the current operation and identify options for the future of the Meat Plant.
A steering committee consisting of members from DEFA, the Manx NFU, Isle of Man Meats and the Agricultural Marketing Society oversaw the process, which initially identified a comprehensive list of options, including closure. A number of potential options were modelled and costed out and, from these, a short-list agreed.
A final report recognises the strategic importance of a Meat Plant on the Island and identifies a short-list of four potential options and their estimated costs of delivery.
These options are:
- improved operation of the current business;
- a restructure of the business to add a retail and wholesale butchery;
- closure of the plant, with a mobile slaughter facility on-island for sheep and pigs, with cattle shipped for slaughter and meat returned for local consumption; and
- testing the market for alternative operators via a tender process.
The report concludes that going out to tender will identify the best possible operator for the agricultural industry, the local meat supply chain and the taxpayer.
The Department is currently minded to pursue this option and is seeking views from the industry on the full list of options before proceeding.
DEFA political Member Tim Baker MHK, DEFA Officers and IOM Meats Directors will be in attendance.
There will be an opportunity at the briefing to ask questions. However, it would be helpful if you would submit questions in advance to Stephanie.halsall@gov.im so we can ensure they are/ can be fully answered at the briefing.
