Volume 9: Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Part 1: Wales
2. Setting the scene
The slaughtering industry

2.2 The slaughtering, rendering and animal feed industries were not significantly different from those in England (see vol. 13: Industry Processes and Controls). Trade in beef and beef products was highly complex: store cattle ¹ were transported around the United Kingdom, particularly into Scotland; live cattle crossed boundaries for slaughter; and cut or processed meat moved from abattoir to cutting plant to meat manufacturers, all in different regions. A 1995 survey of the trade found that there were 'no reliable data on these cross border flows'. ² However, it was clear that there was little value-added activity such as meat processing or manufacturing associated with beef in Wales, and that many cattle were 'exported' to England and Scotland either for finishing or for slaughtering. ³ One of the largest abattoirs in the UK, which was situated in England, was killing cattle from all over Wales during this period. A second English slaughterhouse also sourced cattle from Wales. However, the Inquiry was told that these plants would have been the exception to the rule, and that animals for slaughter were usually sourced from within a 150-mile radius of the slaughterhouse. ⁴