The Fatstock Marketing Association will have to change the way it operates if it wants to continue to run the meat plant.

That is the warning from Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister Geoffrey Boot, whose department is looking to put out to tender the operation of the meat plant.

Government owns the meat plant site and leases it to the Fatstock Marketing Association, trading as Isle of Man Meats, a co-operative of about 400 farmers who supply the plant.

tender

Mr Boot confirmed the FMA would be entitled to submit to the tender process in a bid to continue operating the plant.

However, he told the House of Keys this week: ’If they are to do that, I think it is fair to say that there will be changes required to the way they operate and, particularly, with the way that they have been marketing things in the past. ’

Mr Boot added: ’We are working hard in the department to prepare a tender document and a user agreement, so we can set the parameters for procurement and that process is advanced.

’I cannot give a specific timescale, but we are talking months, not years.’

The meat plant currently relies on a subvention (or subsidy) from the government, which rose to £1.4 million last year.

In February, Mr Boot confirmed the department was looking for a private operator to take over its running.

The measure is being taken against a backdrop of increasing live exports and a decrease in local sales of Manx meat.