The number of UK abattoirs has fallen from roughly 2,500 in the 1970s to just 203 today, a decline highlighted in a recent report from the Sustainable Food Trust, the Soil Association and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. The report, and a separate 2025 survey of 850 farmers and land managers cited in it, warn the trend is creating acute problems for livestock producers, including sheep and goat farmers.
What the figures show
The 2025 survey found that two-thirds of respondents had difficulty accessing a suitable abattoir, and one-third had seen an abattoir they used close. The report argues that continued closures will consolidate processing in fewer, larger plants and could harm both farm businesses and animal welfare.
| period or figure | number |
|---|---|
| abattoirs in the 1970s | 2,500 |
| abattoirs today | 203 |
| farmers surveyed (2025) | 850 |
Implications for sheep farms
The report and accompanying analysis warn that fewer local and regional slaughterhouses can increase journey distances and durations for animals destined for slaughter. A 2025 report from the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission, referenced in the material, concluded that the loss of small and medium-sized abattoirs would probably increase journey times and could raise the risk of illegal slaughter activity.
- Access to a suitable abattoir: two-thirds of surveyed farmers reported difficulties
- Site closures: one-third of farmers said an abattoir they used had closed
- Market concentration: fewer plants risk concentrating buying power and longer supply chains
The authors of the report call for urgent government action to prevent further closures and to support British food security and farmers. They argue that without intervention, processing is likely to centralise further around large industrial plants, a shift they say has implications for animal welfare, worker safety and the resilience of local markets.
Context and concerns raised
The material notes that national demand for meat has not declined in step with the reduction in the number of abattoirs. It cites wider industry trends towards industrialisation and warns that as processing consolidates, the negotiating power of a small number of large processors may increase.
Commentary in the report stresses that the pressures driving closures are economic and regulatory, and that the effects are felt across farm sizes and sectors. The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s 2025 analysis is quoted as cautioning specifically that closure of smaller plants will be likely to lengthen journeys and could increase illegal slaughter activity.
The authors recommend action to preserve local processing capacity as a matter of food security and animal welfare.
Sheep and goat producers who are facing reduced local processing options should discuss their commercial and welfare concerns with their industry bodies and processors. Any operational decisions about markets, transport or animal handling should be taken in consultation with the relevant commercial and veterinary advisers.
