2023-11-26 11:25:16
Published on Nov 26, 2023 at 12:25 p.m.
A petition, signed by 4,000 people, in favor of local meat and short circuits has changed nothing: 170 Lorraine and Luxembourg breeders from the North Lorraine Transborder Agro-Food Pole had to dissolve the cooperative society of collective interest (SCIC) which planned to set up a multi-species slaughterhouse in Illange, near Thionville (Moselle).
The first blow came last June, when the banking consortium which was to co-finance the project announced its withdrawal. Crédit Agricole, Banque Populaire Alsace Lorraine Champagne and Caisse d’Epargne have just confirmed their refusal to finance, to the tune of 2.5 million euros, the project for a total amount of 7 million.
“The spirit of the times”
The post-pandemic context, the war in Ukraine and the rise in energy costs have significantly increased the amount of the investment, initially estimated at 4 million euros. But nine intercommunal authorities in Northern Lorraine had increased their contribution by 1.4 million euros to submit to the bankers a loan request of an unchanged amount.
“Logically, the file thus reinforced should have appeared more solid. I can’t explain this refusal, unless it is no longer fashionable to finance a slaughterhouse? » asks Jean-Charles Louis, former SCIC administrator and deputy mayor of Thionville.
Also supported by Europe, the Grand Est regional council, European funds and Bpifrance, the slaughterhouse was to be located on 2,000 m2 at Illange Europort, an industrial wasteland converted into an activity zone. The Luxembourg cooperative Convis constituted, alongside the breeders of Moselle and Meurthe-et-Moselle, the largest shareholder of the SCIC, with 30% of the capital.
The equipment was to ensure the slaughter, cutting, processing, packaging and emergency slaughter of injured animals. Its border positioning prevented Lorraine breeders from having to transport their sheep and pigs to the Sarrebourg slaughterhouse, 150 km from Thionville, their Luxembourg colleagues sometimes having to go to Belgium or Saarland.
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