Good progress is being made towards creating a meat plant that better serves the needs of the Island, Geoffrey Boot MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, says.
A new operating company, set up to run the plant at Tromode, meets for the first time on Thursday 25 January to plan the way forward.
The Isle of Man Meat Company Ltd (IoMMCL) is led by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture and includes representatives of the Fatstock Marketing Association, industry and commerce.
The Minister says progress will quickly be made towards a more commercially focused plant providing better returns for farmers.
‘The plant is vital to our agricultural sector, which contributes greatly to our cherished landscape and to our ability to feed our nation,’ the Minister said.
‘Giving the plant new impetus will help all those in the supply chain while, over time, lessening the cost to the taxpayer of supporting it.’
On Friday 26 January, IoMMCL will host an event that will be the first step towards developing a new purchasing process for the plant.
‘We have invited producers, butchers, retailers, including those who sell direct from farms, exporters and the Manx National Farmers’ Union,’ the Minister said.
‘We want the entire sector’s input on how animals are sourced from farms. From this, we will develop a transparent purchasing process that everyone can rely on.’
The event will be led by Andrew MacDonald, a senior consultant with Laurence Gould Partnership Ltd and a director of IoMMCL.
