Producers and distributors beef over beef

Local fresh beef slaughterers and distributors will not be buying any live animals for slaughter at the National Slaughter House tomorrow, the Malta Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises (GRTU) said yesterday.

The GRTU action is being taken against fresh beef price hikes, it said.

This follows the decision of local beef producers, represented by the Milk Producers Co-operative, to refuse to sell animals for slaughter unless beef distributors pay substantially increased prices per head of animals purchased from the producers for slaughter.

Butcher shop owners are not going to the abattoirs tomorrow, as no fresh beef will be available for sale by distributors, the GRTU said.