Meat plant- value for money?

[Gladys]

It should not be cheaper to buy imported meat than locally produced meat.  It is much more than just a couple of pennies dearer per kilo than the imported stuff.  Nor should it be better for producers to export live animals than use the meat plant.  

The problem must lie in the meat plant and how it operates and charges.  Probably needs a thorough review not just in accounting terms but in its processes. 

Simple fundamentals

1. Locally produced  meat should not be dearer than imported

2. It should not be better for local producers to export live animals

3. Locally produced meat should not target the premium market but fill the island's own meat needs with top up as necessary by imports

4. We should be able to buy a much wider range of cuts and meat products produced locally, such as ox tongue, trotters, tripe, fries, sweetbreads, etc. Where do all those bits go?

 

[TheTeapot]

You have to let consumers know if you try to force it on the farmers, make it a selling point "no more than 20 miles farm to slaughter" or whatever. 

[Banker]

5 minutes ago, Gladys said:

It should not be cheaper to buy imported meat than locally produced meat.  It is much more than just a couple of pennies dearer per kilo than the imported stuff.  Nor should it be better for producers to export live animals than use the meat plant.  

The problem must lie in the meat plant and how it operates and charges.  Probably needs a thorough review not just in accounting terms but in its processes. 

Simple fundamentals

1. Locally produced  meat should not be dearer than imported

2. It should not be better for local producers to export live animals

3. Locally produced meat should not target the premium market but fill the island's own meat needs with top up as necessary by imports

4. We should be able to buy a much wider range of cuts and meat products produced locally, such as ox tongue, trotters, tripe, fries, sweetbreads, etc. Where do all those bits go?

 

Recently the boss of IOM creamery explained why products are cheaper in Uk & abroad and it’s basically the buyer’s tell the creamery what price they will buy at so can still sell cheaper off island at a profit. The creamery have an excess of cheese production to support purchase of milk from farmers & have to sell it cheaper. Assume it’s similar with meat processed in Uk.

regarding your questions regarding tongue etc, a good local butcher will supply those products but the demand doesn’t exist for much & therefore they don’t have it on general display 

 

[Boris Johnson]

Live export of animals is horrific for the animals and should be stopped NOW.

I say this not as some vegetablist but a normal red meat eater who has been involved in farming of a minor nature for a long time on and off the island and the animals do not deserve to be treated that way.

If you had ever worked with cattle or sheep you would know they are just as intelligent as your pet pooch.

Would you ship Fido off island in a truck stacked 3 high with the dogs on the lower levels being soaked in the urine and faeces of the animals above? Without water of food the animals are terrified. You can tell because they go totally silent.

Manx meat is no longer a premium product, If it ever was, (there was some highland cattle here in the 70s that were tasty but other than that I think it has been a bit of a myth) it may cost more but it is not flaversome.

Lack of flavour  is not surprising really as most of the Manx Meat sold on island is from the hill sheep which are bread for hardiness, not flavour.

LIVE EXPORT OF ANIMALS FOR SLAUGHTER IS ABHORRENT, IT NEEDS TO STOP NOW

[SleepyJoe]

Why should the taxpayer subsidise the raising of animals for slaughter?

It's not saving the biosphere

[Kopek]

Wasn't it EU anti competitive rules regulations that prevented us using import bans on meat and other products?

[John Wright]

35 minutes ago, Boris Johnson said:

Live export of animals is horrific for the animals and should be stopped NOW.

I say this not as some vegetablist but a normal red meat eater who has been involved in farming of a minor nature for a long time on and off the island and the animals do not deserve to be treated that way.

If you had ever worked with cattle or sheep you would know they are just as intelligent as your pet pooch.

Would you ship Fido off island in a truck stacked 3 high with the dogs on the lower levels being soaked in the urine and faeces of the animals above? Without water of food the animals are terrified. You can tell because they go totally silent.

Manx meat is no longer a premium product, If it ever was, (there was some highland cattle here in the 70s that were tasty but other than that I think it has been a bit of a myth) it may cost more but it is not flaversome.

Lack of flavour  is not surprising really as most of the Manx Meat sold on island is from the hill sheep which are bread for hardiness, not flavour.

LIVE EXPORT OF ANIMALS FOR SLAUGHTER IS ABHORRENT, IT NEEDS TO STOP NOW

Agree about live export. But you’re wrong about the quality product.

Hill sheep are, mainly, for wool, not meat. Young lands may be brought of the mountain and fattened for slaughter and consumption. Loghtan is great, and premium. 

But with beef, premium is a mix of two things, quality at slaughter ( producer and abattoir cost ) and how long it’s been hung before butchering, ( retailer cost ).

Theres considerable cost in cold store, both capital in setting the cold room, running costs, electric, and having the meat hanging there for 4, 5, 6 weeks, losing moisture and weight, instead of selling on within a few days.

[John Wright]

2 minutes ago, Kopek said:

Wasn't it EU anti competitive rules regulations that prevented us using import bans on meat and other products?

We had a derogation for years. Then it went. Now we have UK single market legislation.

[Boris Johnson]

Just now, Kopek said:

Wasn't it EU anti competitive rules regulations that prevented us using import bans on meat and other products?

Nope. it was we got found out. It was always wrong to have a open trade agreement with the UK but we stopped all sorts of things being imported because the island was/ is run by farmer types*

* May be bollocks but that is what was explained to me by Sir Miles a few years ago at a dinner party.

[Boris Johnson]

1 minute ago, John Wright said:

Agree about live export. But you’re wrong about the quality product.

Hill sheep are, mainly, for wool, not meat. Young lands may be brought of the mountain and fattened for slaughter and consumption. Loghtan is great, and premium. 

But with beef, premium is a mix of two things, quality at slaughter ( producer and abattoir cost ) and how long it’s been hung before butchering, ( retailer cost ).

There's considerable cost in cold store, both capital in setting the cold room, running costs, electric, and having the meat hanging there for 4, 5, 6 weeks, losing moisture and weight, instead of selling on within a few days.

Sorry John you are wrong, there is no Wool industry here, it costs more to shear a sheep than you get for the fleece.

So we end up with piss poor types of lamb being taken to the "Meat Plant"

If they are born on the mountain and brought down for fattening that does not change the fact that they are a hardy breed, not a tasty one. Tastyness is governed by breed, feeding and finishing location, but mostly breed.

I have never tasted Loghtan but its a pretty niche breed in any case.

The tasty stuff is exported and we keep the flavourless hill lamb here on island and expect a premium to be paid because its "local".

[Markduc]

It always surprises me that all the green crackpots are happy to buy import’s 

food especially that has been transported 1000s of miles rather than buy local 

to save them a pound or two , but want everyone else to spend 10s of thousands on silly green schemes 

[Gladys]

1 hour ago, Boris Johnson said:

Live export of animals is horrific for the animals and should be stopped NOW.

I say this not as some vegetablist but a normal red meat eater who has been involved in farming of a minor nature for a long time on and off the island and the animals do not deserve to be treated that way.

If you had ever worked with cattle or sheep you would know they are just as intelligent as your pet pooch.

Would you ship Fido off island in a truck stacked 3 high with the dogs on the lower levels being soaked in the urine and faeces of the animals above? Without water of food the animals are terrified. You can tell because they go totally silent.

Manx meat is no longer a premium product, If it ever was, (there was some highland cattle here in the 70s that were tasty but other than that I think it has been a bit of a myth) it may cost more but it is not flaversome.

Lack of flavour  is not surprising really as most of the Manx Meat sold on island is from the hill sheep which are bread for hardiness, not flavour.

LIVE EXPORT OF ANIMALS FOR SLAUGHTER IS ABHORRENT, IT NEEDS TO STOP NOW

I like you!

[Gladys]

1 hour ago, Banker said:

 

regarding your questions regarding tongue etc, a good local butcher will supply those products but the demand doesn’t exist for much & therefore they don’t have it on general display 

 

Are you sure the demand isn’t there, or the supply stopped which stiffled the demand?

Now, not many people know how to cook these bits of animals or even what they taste of,  so the demand is gone. 

Ox cheek is an interesting cut.  As a kid my parents used to buy a lot of it, it was great for stews, very tender if cooked right and really tasty.  Then it disappeared.  Now it is back as a 'novelty' item on a high end menu and you can get it in Tesco, but not many other butchers.  But it is really good eating.

[Kopek]

1 hour ago, Markduc said:

It always surprises me that all the green crackpots are happy to buy import’s 

They're only human, o flesh n blood they're made!!! They do what they can, which is probably more than the rest of us?

Problem with Offal and odd cuts is, I don't think young people would use them after their initial 'eugggh' reaction? Then of course, Tesco v. Trad Butcher!!!

Sheeps Brains in garlic butter with crusty bread, starter, 10.95. Think there'd be a lot of wastage!

There used to be a Wool market and that's where the Hill Sheep trad came from, plus, in the old days, people would use these cheaper cuts in stews. Drive anywhere off the hills and there are lots and lots of lowland sheep in the fields.

If we restrict imports, then someone else may restrict our exports in retaliation?

[Omobono]

57 minutes ago, Kopek said:

They're only human, o flesh n blood they're made!!! They do what they can, which is probably more than the rest of us?

Problem with Offal and odd cuts is, I don't think young people would use them after their initial 'eugggh' reaction? Then of course, Tesco v. Trad Butcher!!!

Sheeps Brains in garlic butter with crusty bread, starter, 10.95. Think there'd be a lot of wastage!

There used to be a Wool market and that's where the Hill Sheep trad came from, plus, in the old days, people would use these cheaper cuts in stews. Drive anywhere off the hills and there are lots and lots of lowland sheep in the fields.

If we restrict imports, then someone else may restrict our exports in retaliation?

your dead right , we don't want to fall foul of WTO  trade rules , otherwise our export market could be blocked  and a lot of farmers  who breed pedigree  animals need to be able to  export import and  sell them off island , and take advantage of the isle of mans  certified disease free status 

the meat plant is just too big and un economical and too many added expenses ,without a serious  and radical  operational review , it cant survive in its present form and the £ 2million subvention  from the taxpayer can not be justified ,