Union votes no confidence in meat plant management

A farmer's union has declared a vote of no confidence in the management of the Isle of Man's government-subsidised Meat Plant.

The Manx National Farmers' Union (MNFU) issued an open letter calling for action to be taken.

The letter said an increase in cancellations and delays had forced farms to hold stock for longer than could be afforded to or export it, and significant quantities of meat had been disposed of with "questionable excuses as to why".

Isle of Man Meats said that it understood the "seriousness of the concerns which have been raised" but resolving the issues would "take time".

In a statement the company said it was "in a period of change as a result of the embedded, inherited issues that are not easily resolved" and it would take time to overcome them.

"We are doing everything we can to balance the needs of the producers with a sustainable financial business model that is fair and equitable for all stakeholders," it added.

'Rock bottom'

Earlier this year, large quantities of meat were thrown away by the plant due to a freezer failure, and some beef products were recalled and destructed after a faulty packaging machine caused production delays.

The union's letter said the dumping of product to the animal waste processing plant was "unheard of" before the company's current management.

Cancellations and delays meant that "trade customers struggle to have orders fulfilled and have needed to seek product from elsewhere", it continued.

Confidence in the company's ability to service the industry had "now hit rock bottom" and a "poor level of management" was having a "disastrous impact" on local producers.

"Immediate action must be implemented by the shareholders to repair the damage that has been imposed on the agricultural industry and the local food supply chain", the letter added.

A spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture said while the management of the plant, which receives about £2m of government funding each year, had sought to make improvements, the facility's performance "in recent times has been challenging".

"DEFA is committed to working with the chair, board, producers, customers and all stakeholders to ensure we can see improvements at the abattoir," he added.