German Federal Minister of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity Alois Rainer visited the cattle slaughterhouse of Vion in Waldkraiburg on 31 August. The site plays an important role for agriculture and the food industry in Bavaria and southern Germany.
Together with representatives from agriculture and politics, Minister Rainer learned more about the site and its day-to-day operations. The tour focused in particular on animal welfare, quality assurance, processing and regional value creation. The visitors were also shown how modern AI-supported camera systems are used to enhance animal welfare monitoring.
The visit was followed by a discussion on the current challenges facing the sector and the future of efficient slaughtering infrastructure in Germany. Participants included Member of the German Bundestag Stephan Mayer, District Administrator Max Heimerl, Waldkraiburg’s Second Mayor Stephanie Pollmann and representatives from regional agriculture, including Franz Mitterberger of VVG, Erwin Hochecker of EG Südbayern and Günther Felßner of the Bavarian Farmers’ Association.
Federal Minister Alois Rainer said: “We are committed to a regionally rooted and future-proof agricultural sector. This also means ensuring that slaughterhouses are within easy and quick reach. That supports animal welfare, improves food quality, benefits both farmers and consumers, and helps secure jobs in rural areas. AI will also play an increasingly important role in the future. This was one of the commitments made by the Federal Government at last week’s cabinet retreat. With its high standards in animal welfare and food safety, the Waldkraiburg site is a strong example of how regional value creation can work.”
“The fact that representatives from agriculture, politics and the meat industry walked through the site together today sends a strong signal. Especially in cattle farming, we need to look at the entire value chain and understand how decisions in one part affect the others. That is exactly why direct dialogue is so important,” said Wilhelm Habres, Commercial Director Germany at Vion.
“Waldkraiburg is closely connected to agriculture in Bavaria. We give farmers in the region an important and reliable outlet for their animals, while at the same time ensuring dependable processing capacity for the German and international market,” said Kai-Uwe Harms, Site Manager of Vion Waldkraiburg GmbH. “We were therefore very pleased to have the opportunity to show Minister Rainer our site and to discuss these topics with him directly on site.”
Around 160,000 cattle are currently slaughtered in Waldkraiburg each year, while approximately 22,000 tonnes of beef are processed at the site. The plant employs 350 people.
Photo caption: Federal Minister of Agriculture Alois Rainer visits Germany’s largest cattle slaughterhouse in Waldkraiburg together with representatives from politics and agriculture. From left to right, bottom to top: Wilhelm Habres (Commercial Director, Vion), Stephanie Pollmann (Second Mayor of Waldkraiburg), Alois Rainer (Federal Minister of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity), Kai-Uwe Harms (Managing Director, Vion Waldkraiburg GmbH), Stephan Mayer (Member of the German Bundestag), Erwin Hochecker (Managing Director, EG Südbayern), Günther Felßner (President, Bavarian Farmers’ Association), Max Heimerl (District Administrator), Dr Simon Schreiber (Deputy Head of the Animal Welfare Unit at the Federal Ministry), Dr Veronika Weber (CSO, Vion Food Group), Corinna Hiesinger (Animal Health and Sustainability Officer, Bavarian Farmers’ Association), Franz Mitterberger (Managing Director, VVG).