00:00 It's taken years for Drew Simons to build up his goat meat business, but he now fears
00:06 for its future.
00:07 We can't get them processed locally and sent to our butcher shops.
00:14 His local abattoir in Kyneton in central Victoria says it will no longer take his goats.
00:19 We'll have to go two and a half, three hours away to get them processed, which is, it's
00:26 unethical on the animal.
00:29 Barrum farmer Lauren Mathers shares his pain.
00:33 Her Melbourne processor will soon stop taking her chickens.
00:36 It's pretty distressing when you've built your whole livelihood on producing ethically
00:40 grown meat and then your pathways to get them processed are diminishing rapidly.
00:46 It's a major hurdle for Melbourne's well-respected paddock-to-plate industry, and it's already
00:51 causing issues at restaurants.
00:54 The ABC understands at least five abattoirs have shut their doors to local and organic
00:59 farmers.
01:00 I always prefer to work with the smaller guys.
01:01 I think they do a better quality product and they really look after the welfare and the
01:05 care of the animals.
01:07 The industry's peak body says the country's abattoirs are filled to the brim, as farmers
01:11 sell off their stock ahead of the predicted hot and dry seasons ahead.
01:16 Very, very small contract kills aren't really making the overall margin for processors.
01:22 Farmers are calling for more abattoirs to be opened in Victoria that focus on paddock-to-plate
01:27 processing so producers can send their produce directly to butchers and restaurants.
01:32 Get around, get around, get around.
01:34 The Victorian government says it's aware of the issue and is identifying ways to support
01:38 smaller producers.
01:40 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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