A NEW £1m abattoir in Wensleydale could offer the key to success for many Dales farmers.

For apart from dealing with meat for individual producers, it is also hoped the abattoir will handle larger volumes produced by local farmers and marketed by the fledgling Wensleydale Fine Foods producer group.

The abattoir will open next month after being delayed by the foot-and-mouth crisis.

It is owned by husband and wife team, Martin and Lyndsey McIntyre, who operate it on their farm at East Borwins, Bainbridge.

It replaces their previous small facility which could not be extended and which dealt only with meat for home consumption.

"The choice was to build a completely new plant or go and work for someone else," said Mr McIntyre..

"Local farmers were calling out for someone who could process their stock in this area - we are the only abattoir for 50 miles - so we began looking at what farmers wanted and how best to provide it."

Mrs McIntyre stressed that they wanted to work for everyone from individual farmers through to groups like Wensleydale Fine Foods.

"We wish to provide a service to a wide range of customers who want to bring stock to us," she said.

"In effect we will offer a "contract, kill, cut, process and pack" service which meets our customer requirements.

"It is not our intention to market or trade meat or meat products as we recognise this would be in conflict with many of our customers."

The new plant can process organic and non-organic meat and offers full traceability.

"Our computer system is capable of telling us where an animal came from, when it arrived, and where the meat was sold on to," said Mr McIntyre.

The plant attracted a £260,000 processing and marketing grant from the Government - the largest payment made to a Yorkshire-based project.

David Stirling, senior rural development advisor with DEFRA in Yorkshire, said a key aim of the grant was to help farmers meet the changing needs of the market.

It also helped develop new outlets for agricultural products and fund facilities which helped to achieve that.

"This is the largest individual grant we have made in Yorkshire and that reflects the important role which this abattoir will play in helping farmers in North Yorkshire get their produce to the consumer."

Maurice Hall, manager at Hawes Mart, and Elizabeth Hird, marketing officer for Wensleydale Fine Foods, said the opening of the abattoir was a major step forward.

It should get over the chicken and egg situation where some potential large customers would not commit until they knew there would be a steady supply which could be helped by the abattoir.

It was now up to local producers to use the facilities and to support the Wensleydale Fine Foods initiative which could result in valuable new custom.

Mr Alastair Davy, chairman of the Northern Dales Farmers' Market, attending an open day at the abattoir on Friday of last week, was impressed with what he saw and the fact that it would cut the distance animals had to go for slaughter.

"It is lovely to have one locally, especially when it is as modern as this," he said. "The least distance animals have to go the better it is for us and the animals."

The idea that it could also offer a bespoke service in special cuts for those producers selling at farmers markets was also very attractive and welcome.

The new abattoir reverses a trend which has seen the North of England lose 60pc of its abattoir capacity