Beef Sales Hoped to Strengthen through Ranchers Project
CANADA - The Highway 16 region has seen the launch of a Beef Value Chain Initiative that hopes to give ranchers more opportunity to showcase their quality beef in the marketplace.
5 December 2012
2 minute read
The Beef Value Chain Initiative comes from the 'Beyond the Market Project' and is a pilot project that will provide ranchers in the region the opportunity to finish, process, and market their beef locally, resulting in more dollars into their business and into the local economy.
To support this, the initiative will develop a practical local value-added business model for the beef industry across the Highway 16 region.
“The beef industry is a complicated one,” says Program Coordinator Jillian Merrick.
“There are dozens of steps involved in producing beef before it ever reaches your plate. From breeding, to birth, to weaning, then backgrounding, finishing, processing, butchering, packing, transportation and finally marketing and sales – the system adds more value and complexity each step of the way.”
Jillian Merrick is confident that the opportunities are real. “The region’s ranchers produced over 30,000 beef cows last year. Our pasture lands are incredibly rich and productive. We have three provincially inspected meat processing facilities in the Highway 16 region and a butcher shop in almost every town. At the same time, we have restaurants, resource camps, specialty retailers, fishing, hunting and skiing lodges, and cafeterias all across the region that use beef."
"What is needed is a major shift in the business practices and the establishment of direct rancher-to-buyer relationships. We aim to assist with that process.”
“The Beef Value Chain Initiative will strengthen the industry and benefit our hard-working ranchers and processors,” said Bob Zimmer, Member of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River and Member of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, on behalf of federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.
“It increases the industry’s ability to provide Canadian families with quality beef to serve at their tables.”
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