§ 22. Sir Anthony Meyerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the profitability of the abattoir sector of the meat industry.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithDespite the closures of recent years, there is still significant overcapacity in the industry which is adversely affecting profitability. The Meat and Livestock Commission has recently published proposals for an industry-financed rationalisation scheme to tackle this problem.
The present stability in cow numbers, and the prospect of larger numbers of sheep and pigs coming forward for slaughter, should be helpful to the industry.