'There's no one coming through': Butcher shortage a concern for Guernsey's farmers

• Roisin Gauson reports on a trade under threat...

The Guernsey Farmers Association say a shortage of butchers on the island is causing concern for the industry.

Michael Bray, who heads the association, says a shortage of butchers means fewer people farm animals such as pigs.

Prime cuts fetch higher prices but increasingly local meat ends up as mince. As a result, the profit an individual cow can produce are reduced.

Ten years ago, Guernsey's abattoir used to deal with around 500 animals a year. Now, it's just over 400.

Steve Robert, owner of Cobo Butchers, has been butchering meat for more than 50 years and says butchery is a dying trade: "There's nobody coming through now.

"It's very hands on and very manual work - and people don't tend to like that nowadays.

"Most of the time they want to go into banking or something else".

Steve's son Richard will take up the trade - but at a time when food security and low food miles are increasingly important, more are needed to ensure the industry's future.