• The Valenciennes slaughterhouse must cease its activity by prefectural decision.

  • The health authorities noted shortcomings which have not been corrected.

  • The region, butchers and breeders do not understand this measure.

Since Thursday, the company Abattoirs de Valenciennes, in the North, has ceased its activity.

An administrative closure imposed by the prefecture of the department for an indefinite period which leaves the region, butchers and local breeders in the dark.

On October 4, the manager of the Valenciennes slaughterhouse was informed that his establishment would see its sanitary approval allowing the slaughtering activity suspended.

The measure entered into force on Thursday.

According to the prefecture, the company had been put on notice on several occasions by the Departmental Directorate for the Protection of Populations (DDPP) after "dysfunctions and non-conformities" were noted.

Difficult to know more, the prefecture refusing to communicate precisely the grievances against the slaughterhouse and the manager of the latter being unreachable.

A decision no one understands

However, in May 2019, the establishment had already been the subject of a formal notice to correct a certain number of "shortcomings" concerning, in particular, the electrical installation, cleanliness, the fire risk or the wastewater and rainwater treatment. So many points to settle despite an investment of one million euros between 2017 and 2018, mainly devoted to the renewal of the pig chain.

"After Thursday, we draw the curtain, if the policies do not move," said the manager of SAS Abattoirs de Valenciennes, Alain Dupont, to our colleagues from

La Voix du Nord

. He does not really understand the reasons for the temporary closure of his business. Nor does the region either: "We learn this week with incredulity of the decision to close the Valenciennes slaughterhouse," said Thursday, Marie-Sophie Lesne, vice-president in charge of agriculture, agri-food. and fishing. The community, which has all the same paid more than 400,000 euros in aid for the slaughterhouse to be modernized, does not intend to stop there: "The State must be a facilitator and give time to the actors, who do not have consulted upstream, to organize themselves to avoid such a catastrophe ”.

As for the craftsmen, we are completely overwhelmed.

"We ask you to eat local, to support the breeders, and at the same time, we are closing our slaughterhouses", denounces Sylvain Pottier of the butcher's delicatessen in Hainaut.

“This transformation tool is essential for us, the agricultural world and in particular local breeders.

Without this local slaughterhouse, we will have to travel many more kilometers with our animals, ”deplores Alexandre Henniaux from the Cateau-Cambrésis cattle market association.

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  • Animals

  • Slaughterhouse

  • Butcher's shop

  • Valenciennes

  • Economy