Meat plant production threatened over subsidies

PRODUCTION at the country's meat plants could be disrupted or brought to a halt this week in a row over the ending of a government subsidy to the rendering sector.

Renderers, who process offal from the factories and turn it into meat and bone meal, have warned that they will be unable to continue without a subsidy and have asked the meat plants to pay them for the service.

The meat factories maintain they can't absorb the extra cost and will have to pass it on to livestock farmers.