Closure of the Alès slaughterhouse: left-wing elected officials are concerned about the privatization of the structure

Jean-Michel Suau et Béatrice Ladrange plaident pour une gestion de l'abattoir au niveau de l'Agglo. Midi Libre – Eva Bonnet-Gonnet

L'opposition alésienne réagit aux annonces faites par Christophe Rivenq sur la cessation de paiement de la structure municipale. 

They learned of the possible closure of the Alès slaughterhouse this Thursday, March 7. During the "Assises de la proximity" organized by Midi Libre in La Grand-Combe that same day, Christophe Rivenq, president of Alès Agglo and first deputy to mayor Max Roustant, announced the filing for bankruptcy of the municipal slaughterhouse. In his explanations, he highlights a cessation of payments of 160,000 euros; mainly caused by the debts of the Alès meats company, the drop in slaughter tonnage and "unfulfilled commitments". The slaughterhouse  therefore places  its future in the hands of the Nîmes commercial court which must rule this Wednesday, March 13. 

The end of a model ?

"Until now, all municipalities, left or right, have mobilized in defense of the slaughterhouse", maintaining it' elected opposition communist Jean-Michel Suau. He and his colleagues from the Printemps Alésien group fear that justice will favor the end of municipal management of the structure, which employs 25 people, in favor of a private organization. "Its disappearance would lead to the abandonment of public management for the benefit of groups whose profitability is the only objective, continues the elected official, who is certain to soon see "Bigard, Charal and the others" position themselves for a takeover project. 

A disaster scenario in the eyes of the left, "Alès has the only Gard slaughterhouse still in operation", apart from that of Vigan, but of a significantly smaller size. Its closure, according to these elected officials, would have a dramatic impact for many breeders in the basin, between forced cessations of activity or an increase in costs and the carbon footprint. 

For departmental influence

The solution, which "can still be decided", would be for the Alésian opposition to place the management of the municipal slaughterhouse under the aegis of the Agglo. "This would make sense to succeed in expanding the collection area throughout the Gard, to carry out a financing arrangement with the Nîmes-Alès metropolitan center and the Department.& ;quot; Without this model, the group fears the disappearance of a local service necessary for Cévennes agriculture. "We spoke with a breeder of Barons des Cévennes, cites the elected environmentalist Béatrice Ladrange as an example. Without the Alès slaughterhouse, it will be forced to cease operations."

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