Allington Farm claims DBC abattoir cut ‘catastrophic’ to small producers providing consumers ‘choice’

Farm-to-plate businesses offering fresh meat for customers around WA have four weeks to find an alternative option for custom service kills, with Dardanup Butchering Company planning to cease processing animals for small-scale producers. Zoe Allington, a small-farm producer who runs Allington Family Farm in Greenbushes with her husband and two children, said the decision was “catastrophic” for the industry, and for customers. “It’s really scary — what this cut is doing is limiting and stopping customers from having a choice about where they access their food from,” she said. “Custom kills allows producers to take their own animals into the abattoir. They then get killed at that abattoir, and then you then get your animal that you sent in back.” The service provides customers with a paddock-to-plate experience, rather than selling livestock to abattoirs and customers buying meat from the major supermarkets. Ms Allington said it gave customers around WA a choice as to the meat they bought. “Single-origin meat is becoming much more sought-after now,” she said. “In Perth, we have restaurants and butchers who we also supply with our produce. They’re knowing where their produce is coming from.” The family run markets across the Perth area, ensuring metro customers have the same access to farm-fresh meat. But on September 12, her business was informed by DBC those custom kills would stop. “We weren’t really told any more information than that, and we were honestly gobsmacked when we were first told the news,” she said. “There’d been whispers and talk of this potentially happening, but ourselves, along with a number of other producers, had contacted the people who we needed to at DBC to ask if that was correct. “We were told ‘don’t worry, it’s not going to affect you, don’t worry about it’, in July-August.” Ms Allington said her business wouldn’t be the only one affected. “The impact of this closure on their businesses, on their livelihoods, on the future of their businesses, is honestly heart-wrenching,” she said. “Even at our scale, which arguably is still not massive in comparison to the multinational corporations, but we’ve got a whole system in place. “We’ve just not been given anywhere near enough time to plan for anything else.” The Times contacted DBC for comment, with general manager Brian Pittendreigh saying the custom kill service was a contracted casual service provided to to producers on an ad hoc basis. “Capacity constraints at DBC’s operations mean the company must prioritise its long-term service customers and its own production,” he said. “With spring, demand is growing and there is also a significant uplift in demand due to abattoirs across the board restricting volume.” Demand for what the Allington family provide, however, is also on the up. Ms Allington said she had noticed a shift, with more people questioning the foods they ate for health reasons, asking what chemicals were used on the pasture and what was put into the animals. “It’s that real important element of giving people the choice to know where their food is coming from,” she said. “You’re maintaining that traceability and food sovereignty, so people know where their food is coming from.” With Christmas — the business’ busiest time of year — fast approaching, Ms Allington said she expected trade to be affected. “We’ve got animals in the paddock which are going to need to be processed in the next few months, which we’ve catered for, and they’re growing,” she said. “I honestly would describe it as catastrophic for small-scale producers. There’s no nice way of saying it like it is. It’s a disaster.” Warren-Blackwood MLA Jane Kelsbie said the changes announced at Dardanup Butchering Company would significantly affect local farmers. “Many in our community rely on DBC for custom butchery, and this presents a serious challenge,” she said. Ms Kelsbie said she had raised her concerns with WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis. “I’ve worked closely with local farmers since being elected, and earlier this year I hosted the minister in Denmark to meet with local producers, where we explored ideas for local services, including a mobile abattoir,” she said. “These ideas are now more important than ever. “The minister is working with the Western Australian Meat Industry Authority, and I encourage affected farmers to register their concerns. We remain committed to supporting our farmers and safeguarding local industries.”