Day 096 - 03 Mar 95 - Page 40
1
2 Q. When you say "production has dropped"?
3 A. No, that has not affected the slaughter line.
4
5 Q. In what way has production dropped?
6 A. On the collection of pigs. It is a much slower process
7 now.
8
9 Q. So, it has not affected the unloading of pigs then?
10 A. No. Pigs unload just the same as ever.
11
12 Q. Goads are used for unloading as well though -- I know they
13 are not now?
14 A. No, no, no.
15
16 Q. They never were?
17 A. Very, very rarely. Very rarely.
18
19 Q. The consumer awareness that you were talking about, you
20 thought that was going to have some effect on the market?
21 A. No -- we have, you know, our factory is open to anyone
22 at any time.
23
24 Q. Sorry?
25 A. Our factory is open to anyone at any time and we are
26 collecting pigs from all over East Anglia any time
27 and -----
28
29 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What is being put to you, if consumer
30 awareness was a factor, it is being suggested that that was
31 a stimulus to stop using goads, because people might go off
32 eating pig meat or your pig meat if goads continued to be
33 used, and that would affect your market to some extent.
34 That is what was being put to you.
35 A. Yes, but also, you see, we look at the whole concept,
36 as I was saying earlier.
37
38 Q. What do you say about that first, Mr. Bowes?
39 A. About consumer? We have always been driving towards
40 what the consumer wants. You know, they are our customer
41 and, obviously, if they have any whims, etc., one tries to
42 come to their needs. That was a whole concept that we went
43 for. The hydraulic lifts -- once the hydraulic lifts were
44 introduced and we got all our lorries fully equipped with
45 them, the goads could go. That was the whole concept.
46 Once we come up with the water solution, the goads could
47 go. It was evolution.
48
49 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Shall we break there?
50
51 MS. STEEL: Right.
52
53 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It is somewhat after 1.00 but we will start
54 again at 2 o'clock.
55
56 (Luncheon Adjournment)
57
58 MS. STEEL: The pigs are slaughtered at a rate of 220 to 240 an
59 hour; is that right?
60 A. Correct.
