Inside: Dairy Market
Vion Leeuwarden doesn't slaughter cows for a while
Vion temporarily closes the doors of the cattle slaughterhouse in Leeuwarden. The closure is necessary due to teething problems, but also to enter into discussions with the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). Vion's results, for example, appear to deviate from those of other slaughterers.
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After 3 months of trying, Vion closes the doors of the ultra-modern beef slaughterhouse. The aim was to slaughter 2.500 cattle per week, but so far this has proven not to be feasible. "Vion regrets the development in Leeuwarden, especially for its suppliers in the northern provinces and employees, but sees no way to prevent the temporary closure," the company said in a press release.
NVWA approves differently
The closure is necessary to resolve the 'teething problems'. "This is most efficient when the production process stops." Another problem is that the high number of rejections by the NVWA is striking. "The inspection results show a different picture than those of other slaughterhouses in the Netherlands. The coming period will also be used to better explain this difference." To do this, Vion is in contact with the NVWA.
The Leeuwarder Courant even speaks of absurdly strict control by the NVWA. "There is talk of a competition among the inspectors to see who can reject the most cattle," said a source in the newspaper.
Good chances
Although Vion is mainly involved in the slaughter of pigs, the company earns a relatively large amount of money from the beef sector. The slaughterhouse in Leeuwarden, located in a dairy farming area, should therefore offer good opportunities. When the slaughterhouse is operating at full capacity, it can account for a large share of the cows for slaughter.
The lower supply of cows drives the price up.