Abattoirs across the region are standing empty and staff sent home as the Foot and Mouth crisis takes hold.
Meat processors are just one of a range of businesses in the West Midlands who are feeling the financial pinch of the outbreak.
Butchers are worried they might be hit by a knock-on effect while Staffordshire’s only cattle market based in Leek has closed and is facing massive financial loses of up to £100,000.
And farmers are fearing for their livelihood with the ban on moving cattle still in place.
Wolverhampton’s FA Gill would normally have slaughted 3,000 pigs so far this week but its factory has stood empty because of the lack of livestock deliveries, costing the company thousands of pounds.
Charles Gill, from the firm, said: “We would like to pay tribute to staff who have worked hard to make sure we have not let customers down, some have taken holidays at short notice.
“We have not been able to slaughter pigs so far this week and the long-term economic consequences for the whole meat industry will be severe.”
He added that they were hoping to get the go-ahead to resume work at the end of this week.
Andrew Pickstock, from Janan Meat Abattoir in Kingswinford, said the firm would lose tens of thousands of pounds.
And he added: “We were able to work on Monday because of the livestock still here but since then we have been at a standstill.
“This could be very damaging, our customers rely on us and we have not been able to supply them.
“We have another abattoir in Derbyshire and over the two we are talking about losses of £100,000.”
By Helen Cartwright
One Comment
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