A beef slaughter plant that never opened its doors may get a second chance at a grand opening in Swan River, Man.
A representative from the Rural Municipality of Swan River said the community would like to establish a slaughter facility in its area.
That may involve buying the equipment from the Rancher’s Choice Beef Co-operative facility in Dauphin, Man., which financially dissolved before it opened.
“Maybe that equipment could be downsized for a smaller plant,” said Richard Barteski, deputy reeve for the RM of Swan River.
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The idea, Barteski said, is to use the equipment to expand Valley Meat Packers, a custom slaughter plant in Swan River.
“Maybe we should look at trying to get some funding because the federal government has brought out $50 million for expansion of kill plants,” said Barteski, referring to a budget initiative to establish federally inspected plants in regions like Manitoba that don’t have one.
While it’s still early in the process, Barteski said the goal would be to expand Valley Meat Packers to a size where it could process 100 to 125 head per shift.
In 2005, the Manitoba government invested $4.5 million in the Rancher’s Choice Co-operative in Dauphin, which failed to raise sufficient equity and dissolved in February 2007 before opening for business.
As a result, the province now owns equipment to operate a slaughterhouse and recently confirmed that the machinery would be sold in the near future.
Earl Fullerton, reeve for the RM of Swan River, said mayors and municipal politicians from the region will meet Feb. 12 with Manitoba’s agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk to discuss the possibility of moving that equipment and establishing a larger slaughter facility in Swan River.
During a media scrum in late January in Brandon, Wowchuk said that increasing Manitoba’s slaughter capacity is a priority of the provincial government.
