There have been more live exports of cattle for slaughter this year than have been processed through the island’s troubled meat plant, it has been confirmed.

Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister Geoffrey Boot revealed, in a written answer to a House of Keys question, that 2,857 cattle had been exported, compared with 2,347 that had gone through the meat plant.

Last year, the total numbers saw cattle processed at the meat plant - 4,698 - marginally above the export figure of 4,635.

By comparison, 17,947 sheep have been processed through the meat plant so far, this year, compared with 12,012 exported.

A new operator is being sought for the meat plant and DEFA hopes to have it in place before the end of the year, after a number of bids were received.

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 subsidy, which rose to more than £1.3 million last year.

The government is hoping a private operator would make the plant more efficient.

The search for a new operator came after the increase of live exports and decrease in local meat sales. Earlier this year, there was a war of words between the FMA and Shoprite over the supermarket chain’s decision to increase the amount of meat it imported.

Shoprite said it had reluctantly taken the decision ’because the orders we placed locally could not be fulfilled to agreed specification’, but the FMA argued it had never said it could not supply the chain.