Argentina | Buenos Aires, Cordoba | Horsemeat production
A pile of dead horses behind the Lamar slaughterhouse.
Insufficient weather protection at Land L – the horses standing in the burning sun.
A horse with a serious leg injury at the assembly centre of a supplier of the Lamar slaughterhouse.
Dogs are used to round up horses at an assembly centre supplying Land L slaughterhouse.
In December 2018, two weeks after an audit by the EU-Commission, our team returns to Argentina. At both slaughterhouses Lamar and Land L, new shelters have been installed, particularly for the audit. However, they are too small for the large numbers of horses which are usually kept on the premises. Once again, we see a lot of emaciated, injured, sick and weak horses, as well as pregnant mares and foals. Behind the Lamar slaughterhouse, there is a large pile of dead horses who have either not survived the transport or have died before slaughter.
We observe the Land L plant during an audit of a meat importer. On that day, the horses are in good condition, properly marked with the mandatory ear tags and they have plenty of food available, which is not usually the case. For the first time ever, we see roofed transport vehicles delivering the horses.
At the assembly centres of the slaughterhouses’ suppliers, veterinary care is non-existent and dogs are used to round up the horses. Whilst talking to the horse dealers, we find out that they sell sport horses for slaughter, even though they are commonly treated with drugs that are not permitted to use for food-producing animals.
We are going to send our investigation report to the EU-Commission and will call for an import ban on horsemeat from torturous production in South America.
