Exports of boneless bison meat to the United States this year already have surpassed anything seen by the industry in the previous three years.
Exports between January and August were valued at $3.8 million, compared to $3.6 million worth of meat exported in all of 2001.
With the U.S. border still closed to exports of live bison because of the BSE crisis, producers were forced to investigate other ways to market animals that previously would have been shipped south for slaughter.
One alternative was for producers to process more bison for direct marketing within Canada, including at the farmgate, said Terry Kremeniuk, executive director of the Canadian Bison Association.
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Another option was to send animals to federally inspected plants that accept bison and then export cuts of boneless meat to the U.S., either fresh or chilled.
Despite gains made in that regard, limited bison slaughter capacity in Canada has not been able to keep pace with the number of animals ready for slaughter, Kremeniuk said. Animals awaiting slaughter in Canada have been backing up since BSE closed the U.S. border to live ruminant imports last year.
“Some of the animals under 30 months (of age) that should have been going to the U.S. have not been slaughtered because of the lack of capacity,” said Kremeniuk, noting bison prices in Canada are well below those in the U.S.
Smaller slaughter plants have been built in Western Canada in the past year to process bison and other ruminants and more plants are planned.
The North American Bison Co-operative had been one of the main markets for Canadian bison before the border closed last year.
In a bid to help its Canadian members, the co-op made arrangements earlier this year to slaughter bison in Winkler, Man., and move the meat into the U.S. market. That effort began in the spring and continued into the summer.
“It worked well for us,” said Ken Johnson, a co-op member from Manitoba.
“We were able to get the American price, which is much better than ours, and we were paid quite promptly.”
That arrangement has since ceased, but NABC chief executive officer Dieter Pape said the co-op is continuing efforts to find markets in the U.S. for bison meat processed at other facilities in Canada.
The export regulations that apply to beef also apply to bison meat. It must be from animals younger than 30 months, and specified risk materials, such as the brain and spinal cord, must be removed.
