New board for IoM Meats admits "impossible task"

The new executives have been unveiled as Graham Crowe, Pentti Christian, Shaun Dean, Geoff Taggart and Allan Skillicorn.

The board will be chaired by Mr Crowe, who is a former president of the Manx National Farmers’ Union and also a former member of the Board of Consumer Affairs and director of Manx Radio.

Mr Christian is a director of Brassica Foods and Lynwill Farms who were behind a recently refused planning bid for a new privately funded abattoir in Marown. 

He has previously spent time studying and working within numerous parts of the agricultural industry both in the UK and the USA.

Mr Dean was brought up in Onchan before completing his agricultural diploma in the UK. He has more than 20 years’ experience of management and ownership within the Manx and British pig industry, and is currently owner-director of Bayview Pigs.

Mr Taggart is currently chairman of the IoM Agricultural Marketing Society, a member of Malew Parish Commissioners and a director of Billown Farms, which runs up to 400 beef cattle.

Finally, there is vice-chairman to the IoM Agricultural Marketing Society Allan Skillicorn. He is a director of the Clypse Estate and a producer of dairy, sheep and beef.

In a statement today, the new board confessed it’s now faced with "an almost impossible task” of improving the fortunes of the loss making company which is locked into a lease with the DoI-owned meat plant in Tromode. 

The board added: "Time is very much of the essence and a transparent strategy to provide a cost effective service to producers and consumers has to be formulated in order to stem the hemorrhage of cash from the company and quality livestock from the Island.

"Several options will initially be investigated to mitigate the present losses and improve the trading position, but if no viable plan comes to fruition, the recommendation of the previous board of directors to wind up the company may have to be instigated. 

"The food act 1996 prohibits any slaughterhouse from being used unless it is a public slaughterhouse provided by the DoI, meaning no privateers can enter the industry. 

"It therefore remains a possibility that the agricultural directorates previously announced ‘Newco’ proposal may have to be revisited and backed by a structured business plan.”

See audio from Graham Crowe.