22 LICENCES


it up further to the new Small-Scale [Meat] Producers’ Association and the [BC] Sheep Federation as well as those who had applied for a D or E licence and had been denied or had not proceeded.


Last notes ultimately 198


participants were identified and contacted by email and phone. 85 indicated they wanted to participate and Last says he expected a 50% response. That consultation ended April 30. “One of the things we began


working on when [Lana Popham] stepped into her role was a review of D and E licences,” says Last. “The minister was hearing concerns from both sides, not just that we don’t have enough [licences] but also we have concerns about the way it is being run.”


The consultation gave rise to the idea of charging the select standing committee to focus on all processing capacity, explains Last. “The opportunity to take this


targeted consultation to a broader audience was apparent and it fit in well with the interests of the minister in looking into this further,” he says. Last says there are a number of


broad questions the committee will look into that should interest industry. “Are there ways to increase


livestock production in BC?” he asks. “Are there ways to increase processing of animals raised in BC and increasing slaughter capacity, especially in rural and remote communities?” Last says there’s room for


improvement and he expects the work of the select standing committee will help make it happen. The committee has been asked to report back to the legislature with recommendations in October.


Consultation schedule The newly revived Select Standing Committee


June 4 Dawson Creek June 5 Prince George and Terrace June 5-6 Haida Gwaii June 7 Powell River June 8 Abbotsford June 11 Saanich and Courtenay June 12 Williams Lake and Castlegar June 13 Kamloops


What’s the beef? Country Life in BC spoke with


representatives of both the BC Association of Abattoirs, who all have either A or B licences, and the D&E licences, many of whom are part of the newly formed Small-Scale Meat Producers Association. While the two groups are often distinguished in terms of size, all processors in BC are small. Most have less than 10 workers; the largest has 150. Only 26,000 beef animals are processed a year in the


on Agriculture, Fish and Food will be travelling the province in the first two weeks of June as part of its investigation into meat processing capacity in BC’s remote communities. Dates and locations confirmed at press time include:


province compared to plants in Alberta or the US that can handle 4,500 animals a day. While all D and E licenses are required to be small, a Class A plant in the North Okanagan is housed in a shipping container. Regardless of size, a key issue for all of the industry is how different classes of licences are treated. The BC Ministry


of Agriculture regulates 64 class A and B licensees. These abattoirs must have a trained government meat inspector present during operations to inspect each animal or flock before slaughter and each carcass afterwards.


But the ministry delegates


oversight of 19 class D and 27 class E licences to the local health authorities. After a pre-operation site assessment from the authority and confirmation that the operator has taken the SlaughterSafe training course, it is expected that the plant will be inspected regularly. However, the actual slaughter process is exempt from inspection requirements. “There are two meat processing


systems in BC,” Nova Woodbury of the BC Association of Abattoirs says. “One


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • JUNE 2018 nfrom page 21


that provides inspected meat to consumers and one that does not. As far as I am aware, BC is the only province that allows that.” She says the public needs concrete assurances that slaughterhouses are following humane handling practices, animal health, pathology and food safety practices. “Third-party validation by trained


professionals who all follow the same guidelines is important to ensure a safe product in BC,” she says. When inspectors are on site in A&B


plants, it’s not just the inspection process they are involved in. Provincial inspectors work with CFIA to identify and report animal welfare issues, animal diseases, diseases that affect consumers and meat that is unfit for human consumption. While Woodbury is quick to note that many class D and E plants maintain very high standards, the lack of oversight increases the potential for an incident. “Many of the operators take great


care in what they do,” Woodbury says. “But if everybody worked to the same high standards, then we would have no need for a CFIA in Canada or an SPCA.” Woodbury worries about tourists buying uninspected meat at a farmers’ market and becoming ill after eating it.


“That would effectively close down the BC meat industry and have a huge impact on tourism and BC’s reputation in the food world as well,” she says.


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