One of Canada’s newest packing plants has started processing beef and adding a fresh face to the market.
Construction of the Ranchers’ Beef plant located 10 minutes north of Calgary is on schedule and it should be fully operational next spring, said company president Tony Martinez.
“We targeted the first quarter of 2006 and we’re there,” Martinez said.
About 300 head of cattle younger than 30 months are being killed daily at Sunterra Meats in Innisfail, Alta., and the carcasses trucked to a facility on the new plant site for processing. Some older cows have also been processed and bison will be processed the week of Aug. 15.
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The plant is also prepared to handle custom kills for smaller groups interested in marketing their own brands.
The plant has achieved export licensing and plans to ship boneless cuts to the United States and Mexico. Being able to move into export markets helps sell cuts that have less value in Canada.
“There are cuts that we won’t take, but we can get more money for them in Mexico or Asia for cuts like skirts or short plates or offals,” said Martinez.
The plant is owned by the Price family of Acme, Alta., the Cor Van Raay family of Picture Butte, Alta., and a consortium of private investors.
It faced controversy from Calgary residents who did not want such a facility within the city. The company responded by building the plant in the Municipal District of Rockyview.
It was able to start construction in the spring and employs 65 people.
