Vion, a Dutch food group Vion, which employs as many as 13,000 people in the UK, has said that it is planning to sell all of its operations in the UK.

Vion operates abattoirs and processing plants on Anglesey, Sandycroft in Flintshire and other sites in Wrexham and Merthyr Tydfil. The company employees number 13,000 across 38 locations in the country. The company's St Merryn plant in Merthyr Tydfil is believed to be the largest meat processing and packing plant in the UK.

NFU Cymru president Ed Bailey said, "Whilst these are uncertain times for Welsh farmers supplying the company our thoughts also go out to the significant number of Vion employees working in Wales who I am sure have concerns over what impact this news will have on their future employment."

The company has expressed confidence that it will be able to sell its units as viable businesses. It said that the decision to sell the units is not an easy one but is essential for the firm. It already announced the closure of a meat processing plant in Scotland with the loss of 1,700 jobs.

The company is engaged in supplying beef, lamb, pork and chicken products to the food retailing, food manufacturing and food service sectors. Vion said that the selling of units in the UK will allow the company to focus on core markets of the Netherlands and Germany and it will also allow the firm to concentrate on its global ingredients business.