Animal activists who protested outside a Powys abattoir that slaughters 20,000 lambs a week have called for a "plant-based food system" and a "transition for everyone".

Eight members of Animal Rebellion Cymru gathered with placards and signs at Randall Parker Foods in Dolwen, near Llanidloes yesterday (Monday, August 15) for their first demonstration in Wales.

Animal Rebellion, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, is a pro-vegan climate group that has recently made headlines after activists poured milk all over the floor of Harrods.

Pip Morris is an Animal Rebellion Cymru activist from Welshpool who attended the demonstration at the abattoir near Llanidloes. She said: "We’ve come to Randall’s Foods to bear witness to the injustice the non-human animals that are slaughtered here are facing.

"What they’re facing is not only an injustice to them, it is stopping us from addressing the climate and ecological emergency.

"The science is clear that animal foods are by far the most environmentally destructive, and around 85 per cent of UK land is being used for meat and dairy.

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"Meanwhile, farmers are struggling with unprofitable business models that are unsustainable and only able to continue through massive government subsidies, while many are trapped into oppressive contracts with intensive farming corporations.

"We need a just transition that addresses the injustices being suffered by non human animals while empowering farmers and farm workers to move to system where they can flourish rather than get by. We need a plant-based food system."

Randall Parker Foods' Dolwen manufacturing facility processes up to 20,000 lambs a week and has a workforce of around 120 people.

Last year, the abattoir was bought by Pilgrim's UK, one of the UK's largest meat processors to capitalise on the popularity of British lamb with export customers.

In response to Animal Rebellion's protest, a Pilgrim's UK spokesperson said: "At Pilgrim’s UK Lamb, we are committed to protecting the environment and have set out a roadmap for becoming net zero by 2035.

"We are a major local employer and a proud supporter of British farming, producing the highest quality lamb from Farm Assured suppliers that operate to stringent animal welfare standards."