The name of the new operator of the meat plant may be revealed within the next two weeks.

Agriculture Minister Geoffrey Boot said the tender process to find a new operator was close to conclusion, but he could not make any announcement yet.

The search for a new operator began earlier this year.

Currently, the Tromode plant is run by Isle of Man Meats, the trading name for the Fatstock Marketing Association, but it has required a government subvention, which rose to more than £1.3 million last year.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture hopes a private operator will make the plant more efficient. The search for a new operator came after an increase of live exports and decrease in local meat sales.

Mr Boot told the House of Keys on Tuesday that, due to the rules covering the tender process, he was limited on what he could say at the moment.

’A number of tenders were received and, due to the complex nature of the tender, officers from my department, the Department of Infrastructure and Department of Economic Development have taken their time to assess the detail and to request further information from tenderers,’ he said.

’It is impossible to put an exact timeframe on any public announcement on the conclusion of the tender, but I anticipate it will be within the next two to three weeks.’

He was responding to a question tabled by Daphne Caine (Garff), who sought an update on the situation. She commented: ’While this tendering process has been ongoing, there has been a lack of marketing of the end product by the meat plant.’

Mr Boot agreed that marketing had been ’poor’, but added: ’We hope that it will improve at the conclusion of the tender process, or with plan B or C.’