Producers get local abattoir
By Food in Canada staff
Business OperationsFor producers on Manitoulin Island having their own abattoir means more opportunities
Manitoulin Island, Ont. – Farmers on the island will finally get their own licensed abattoir.
Since 1995, the island has not had a licensed plant. So producers have had to make a two- to four-hour trek – one way – to the mainland or pay trucking fees to have their animals sent away and brought back in refrigerated transport, reports Better Farming.com.
The 4,000 sq.-ft. facility will be a kill and chill operation. There are several butchers on the island who can do secondary processing.
Cost and funding
The total estimated cost for the project is $1.6 million, says Better Farming. Other funding for it came from the Ontario Heritage Fund, (approximately $825,000), the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association ($345,000), five local municipalities, one First Nations community, and more than 40 local farmers who paid $400 to $5,000 each depending on how often they plan to use the facility.
The province says more than 70 meat processors and producers will use the facility, enabling them to increase revenues, expand into new markets and meet growing demand for locally grown food.
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