Day 089 - 15 Feb 95 - Page 05

     
     1        A.  There was a veterinary officer there beforehand, yes.
     2
     3   Q.   Do you know how long he had been there?
     4        A.  He had been there for many years, I would think at
     5        least 10 years, but I am not sure.
     6
     7   Q.   Broadly speaking, what are your responsibilities at Sun
     8        Valley?
     9        A.  The responsibilities cover the health, the welfare of
    10        the livestock, the diagnosis of disease, the treatment of
    11        disease, the running of the laboratories to support that
    12        diagnostic programme.  Then also the laboratories support
    13        the quality assurance programme that we have for the
    14        microbiological testing of foods and for the feed analysis
    15        of all our feed ingredients that are required for our
    16        animal feed mill.  I also have responsibility within the
    17        factories for quality assurance as an overall.
    18
    19   Q.   You are not a microbiologist?
    20        A.  I am not a microbiologist by training, only by
         influence perhaps.
    22
    23   Q.   How many birds a year, roughly speaking, are now at this
    24        time processed at Sun Valley's plant in this country?
    25        A.  The broiler chickens, approximately 780,000 birds per
    26        week.
    27
    28   Q.   Am I right that at some stage -- perhaps will you give us
    29        the year -- some part of your plant at Hereford was
    30        destroyed by fire or damaged by fire?
    31        A.  Yes, one of the further processing plants was destroyed
    32        by fire in September of 1993.
    33
    34   Q.   1993.  Is that plant being rebuilt or replaced?
    35        A.  Yes, it is being replaced near Wolverhampton.
    36
    37   Q.   As far as McDonald's are concerned, does Sun Valley supply
    38        McDonald's with its chicken products in this country?
    39        A.  Yes, they are supplied but from our factory in France.
    40
    Q.   I was going to say, at the moment where does McDonald's
    42        product come from?
    43        A.  It is all produced in our new factory in Orleon near
    44        Paris.
    45
    46   Q.   Before the fire was it produced in this country?
    47        A.  It was, yes.
    48
    49   Q.   Do you think -- I am not asking you to make a certain
    50        prediction -- it possible that when the plant is completed 
    51        near Wolverhampton that the McDonald's production facility 
    52        will move back there? 
    53        A.  This is the likely option.
    54
    55   Q.   Approximately what percentage -- I do not want figures,
    56        I want a percentage -- of Sun Valley's turnover is devoted
    57        to McDonald's custom?
    58        A.  Approximately one-fifth.
    59
    60   Q.   Does Sun Valley have any other large customers?