But he fears that in view of the current discussion about possible misconduct in the slaughterhouse coburg threatens the closure of this facility.
"I am not only concerned about the farmers", emphasizes heinz eichhorn. He thinks of the butchers in the region, but also of the consumers and animal welfare. Pigs are fattened on the eichhorns’ farm. Buying piglets, feeding them and selling them to a butcher currently offers a fairly manageable return for the farmer. He offers a rough service for the butchers he supplies. They order pigs from him by the piece. At the same time, every butcher can clean up wishes. "Some want a little more fat, others perhaps less."
Heinz eichhorn selects suitable animals from his herd. On delivery to the slaughterhouse, he may have to provide feed if the animals are not slaughtered until the following day. "Confusion is not possible because the animals can be clearly identified with my number", eichhorn describes the procedure. After slaughtering, employees of the meat inspection ring examine the animal carcasses and assign them to a meat class. "The quality makes the price", so eichhorn.
Then the slaughtered animals go into the cold room. Heinz eichhorn can then pick up the pig carcasses there, which he wants to process as a direct marketer on the farm in thann. He also labels the other carcasses with the names of the butchers for whom they are intended.
Strict handling of pork
in order to enter the cold storage room, the farmer must have a key to be signed up for. On leaving, he hands over the key again, which is again acknowledged. This is also how it works when the butchers later come to buy their "eichhorn pigs" to pick them up at the slaughterhouse.
For the processing of his animals, heinz eichhorn has built a fully equipped butcher shop at home. The requirements are strict, and inspections are frequent and unannounced, he emphasizes. "Pork", could not be afforded. The risk of being caught is far too great, he says. If the slaughterhouse in coburg no longer existed, this would have fatal consequences for the cooperation between farmers and butchers, fears eichhorn: "when i had to bring my pigs to bamberg, i could hardly find a butcher who would pick them up there." With a price of about 2,15 euro for the kilo of pork with slaughtering costs and value added tax, it was worth it for the farmer no longer calculating. Moreover, the long transport would be a burden for the animals.
Although eichhorn also supplies pigs to the slaughterhouse in kronach, these are destined for customers in the sudthuring region or in the vicinity of kronach. For all slaughterings, which are processed at present in coburg, this would not be a solution. And for butchers from the south or west of coburg, kronach would be just as unprofitable as bamberg because of the long journey.
Eichhorn also said: "the slaughterhouse in coburg dates back to the days of grandfather." A modern slaughterhouse looks different. In his opinion, investing in a new slaughterhouse on the outskirts of coburg would be the right step for the region. The region, which presents itself as a region of pleasure, has been assured that slaughtered animals only have to be transported over short distances, that farmers and butchers can work profitably even at low consumer prices, and precisely that the supply of regional meat remains secure. Because if the existing structures are dismantled, heinz eichhorn fears, "then at some point there will only be meat from abroad at the discounter."