Opinions sought on private kill facility at Keiss – should it be refurbished and put back into operation?
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The North Coast Abattoir Group (NCAG) continues to search for funding to reopen the former Caithness Beef and Lamb plant at Keiss which closed in 2011.
The group believes that the future of food security in Caithness and the north of Scotland desperately needs the vital infrastructure to enable the whole of the red meat chain to be operated within the county.
Achreamie farmer Morris Coghill, who runs NCAG, said: "If we produce and finish the livestock here, we should be able to process it here. For the benefit of the livestock, the farmers, the consumers, the local economy and the planet, it makes no sense at all to send our home-produced, plate-ready livestock on lengthy journeys to meat plants in the south.
"The plant at Keiss can be refurbished and put into operation relatively simply – albeit on a significantly reduced scale. Even better, because the original plant was huge, we have the opportunity to help others to develop related businesses in the same buildings – the prospect of making a real 'meat hub' to serve the simple needs of those of us who value local meat here in the north."
Mr Coghill said that a survey had previously been carried out at the beginning of the project to ascertain the feasibility of the scheme. It showed there was "great interest" in it and he thinks there is no reason to believe these viewpoints will have markedly changed.
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Caithness farmers push for micro-abattoir at Keiss
On May 16 the Sustainable Food Trust announced the results of its own UK-wide survey into the need for small abattoirs with separate data for Scotland.
"We now have yet another opportunity to re-emphasise that there is, and continues to be, a demand for local private kill, cut and pack services. The Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS) has opened its own survey to gain an understanding of both regional and national demand.
"If you have any interest in the subject, we would urge you to find the time to complete this form. It is targeted at producers, but that doesn’t mean that others with an interest in local meat being processed locally should not raise their voices too."
The SAOS survey can be found at: saos.coop/whats-new/news/abattoir-survey
Mr Coghill added: "Even if the government may be unwilling or unable to provide abattoir services themselves, they do have plenty of capital funding which can be targeted towards those who are prepared to put their efforts into making this vital infrastructure a permanent part of our economy.
"Please don’t let survey fatigue stop your views being counted."
