Uruguay | Palmitas | Slaughter horse dealer Bardanca | Horsemeat Import

Last week, we visited the collecting station of slaughter horse dealer Bardanca in the north of Uruguay. He told us that he also keeps horses at another farm near Mercedes in the west of the country. Bardanca supplies all three EU approved slaughterhouses with horses and is one of Clay’s main suppliers.When we arrive in Mercedes, we ask around for Bardanca’s farm. However, People only know Bardanca’s private house in Palmitas. We drive there, but nobody is at home. Two livestock trucks are parked on the premises, a large and a small one. We notice horse manure on the floor of the large trailer, which is dilapidated and completely rusty. In the side walls, there are small slits with sharp edges in which the legs of foals and ponies can get caught. The tyres of the trailer are completely worn down, being smooth and largely without tread. We even note cracks in the tyres. A driver’s cabin with the inscription “BARDANCA” is connected to the trailer, meaning that it is still being used. This shows the careless handling of animals, as the trailer is wholly inappropriate and even dangerous to transport animals.