MAY 2018 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC New meat producer
association launched Group will give united voice to small-scale livestock farmers seeking slaughter capacity
by MYRNA STARK LEADER MERRITT – Small-scale meat
producers across BC are banding together to form a new association representing farmers and ranchers who raise meat outside of the conventional system. The Small-Scale Meat Producers
Association was founded by primary producers and their supporters following several months of online Facebook discussions that garnered the interest of about 75 ranchers and farmers. The online group was started by Julia Smith of Blue Sky Ranch in Merritt, which produces pork. “Through our online discussions about the state of services for small meat producers who are facing real challenges when it comes to abattoir services and availability, we decided the best way to have a stronger voice was to form an association,” Smith explains. In March, the group began the
process of registering as a non-profit society in BC. The efforts coincided with a BC
Ministry of Agriculture consultation launched March 20 aimed at
supporting rural slaughter capacity. Small abattoirs and other stakeholders were asked for feedback and suggestions on how to improve rural abattoir licensing in BC, which many small producers have identified as an issue. The consultations were slated to conclude by April 30. The province asked current and
former holders of abattoirs with D and E licences to describe their experiences with administration, licensing, operations and food safety. Presenters had an opportunity to discuss ideas that could enhance local slaughter capacity throughout the province.
Class D licence holders are allowed to slaughter up to 11,340 kilograms (25,000 pounds) of their own or other people’s animals per year for direct sale to consumers or to food businesses such as restaurants and meat shops in the region the meat was produced. They must also operate in one of the 10 regional districts that have been designated as rural remote areas: Central Coast, Kitimat-Stikine, Mount Waddington,
See SLAUGHTER on next page o
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Jim Ross of Havesome Hogs in the Slocan Valley is no stranger to the challenges facing small-scale meat producers. SUBMITTED PHOTO
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