Livestock are still frequently having to travel unacceptable distances to abattoirs. This perennial issue, a proverbial thorn in the side of meat producers, has rumbled on for years and has now been further substantiated by a report from the Sustainable Food Trust, Soil Association and Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

The report is based on the findings from an earlier online survey of 850 farmers and land managers, many of whom said that their animals’ welfare was compromised by a typical journey of about 30–40 miles to their nearest abattoir.

Gemma Haines uses Highland cattle for conservation grazing on common land near her Bridgend farm in Wales, sending four from her herd of 30 to slaughter each year. ‘Up until earlier this year, I used a facility that was 15 minutes away, but, due to the

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