The Rural Voice, 2002-09, Page 49(Quebec vealers) pay because it just
goes into their cost of production."
he says.
At the other end, because of the
subsidies Quebec veal farmers over
produce, driving down prices. Every
week there are truckloads of finished
milk -fed and grain -fed veal coming
into Ontario from Quebec and when
they're processed here they become
Ontario veal, he says. Ontario vealers
don't like this but they can't get any
government to step in and get
involved.
If you can't beat them, then
perhaps you can outflank them and
that's the road OVA took to combat
Quebec imports. The association
came up with a quality assurance
plan that will differentiate Ontario
grain -fed veal from other veal.
To qualify for the program, the
calves must be fed 120 days in
Ontario on corn -based feed to
provide a consistency of product.
From there the QA program
moved to product quality and food
safety aspects, using Hazard Analysis
Critical Control Points (HACCP)
standards, making it, along with
pork, an early entry into this kind of
program. "We were told 'you can't
do HACCP on the farm, it won't
work', but it does. Not to the degree
(youcan) in industry but you can
have a tight ship on the farm too."
So far 112 veal producers have
taken the course to learn how to
identify potential hazards, establish
systems to deal with these critical
factors and then prove they have
dealt with potential hazards through
record-keeping.
The QA program identifies all the
consumer concerns: animal handling,
drug residues, food safety and bio -
security. Producers must take the vet
medicines course on how to
administer drugs.
Calves in the program carry their
own tags as well as the Canadian
Cattle Identification Program tag
which is applied by the producers of
origin. The Certified Veal tag
identifies the farm where the animal
was raised. "Eventually when the
technology is perfected, when the
consumer has that roast or whatever,
they should be able to trace it to the
farm. That should be a great peace of
mind to the consumer.
"I'm responsible for calf and its
product right until the consumer
starts eating it so it makes you do the
best job you can."
Having established the parameters
for a great food product, OVA began
looking at ways to take advantage of
the product. Palmer credits OVA
Executive Director Jennifer Hayley
whose expertise is in marketing, for
developing the strategy that has since
led to developing partnerships in the
value chain and for branding the
Ontario grain -fed veal product.
The licencing agreement means
each partner in the value chain can't
do anything without informing the
other partners in the chain because
their actions affect each other. "That
was a huge key.
"For a value chain to work it takes
commitment on all parties." Palmer
says. "It's a big undertaking — very
satisfying and with lots of headaches.
Communications is the key — not by
email but one-on-one. If there's a
problem it has to be identified and
cleared up right away."
OVA developed protocols for
partnerships with other members of
the food chain. Packers, for instance,
are asked to go above and beyond the
requirements of federal or provincial
packing plants by taking the hides off
animals before they're put in the
cooler, reducing the possibility of
cross -contamination. Certified veal is
also goes through mechanical
tenderizing machines to ensure
consistent tenderness.
Protocols call for a 700 -pound live
weight, resulting in a 451 -pound
hide -on carcass. Previously veal
meant anything from 400 pounds to
800 pounds but people want the same
size all the time.
"The consumers had no idea what
they were getting as far as size and
age.. You cannot build an industry
that way."
For retailers, part of the protocol
is that they have to sell the whole
carcass, not just the most favoured
cuts such as hinds. "If you want your
industry to grow you've got to sell
the whole carcass," he says. It means
that retailers have to advertise cuts
from the front end equally with their
real end cuts. Retailers are happily
finding that it's working, he says.
A year ago in September OVA
signed its first deal with Holly 'Park
Packers, north of Toronto, and the
13 -store Longo's supermarket chain
in the Toronto -Burlington area.
Under the agreement with OVA.
Longo's is licenced to develop its
own "Ontario Certified Veal" label
Each cut has its own label and the
label not only suggests the use for the
cut but can be peeled hack to provide
a recipe.
The recipe deals with one of the
consumer concerns about buying.
veal. he says. It's a drier meat. not
marbled, so it can be spoiled quickly
by poor preparation. The recipe
suggests ways to handle it properly.
The label also contain a little story
about how the veal is grown in
Ontario by caring families.
"Really we have the first branded
veal product in Canada — it's never
been done — and the first veal value
chain in North America. We're really
proud of that."
The value chain provides valuable
information for farmers. Longo's has
reported double-digit increases in
sales. They report losses because of
bruising and abscesses are way down
because farmers have been educated
about needling in the neck. not the
behind end.
"Longo's are just a super
company," Palmer says of the first
partnership. "You'll find that they are
going to have only quality assured
products in their stores — that's the
way they're moving. It's a beautiful
store. You go in there and, man, the
food's presented (well). I've never
seen a store with as much quality as
theirs."
The supply of QA calves still
exceeded the demand the
contract with Lorigo's required
so negotiations began with another
store. That agreement has been
signed but can't been made public
yet. Palmer says.
The supply/demand equation
could quickly turn the other way if a
huge chain that's showing great
interest in the Certified Veal program
signs on, Palmer says. "It would
triple our numbers and we'd have to
act very quickly to get more
producers on line to match the
demand.
"We're always going to be facing
the balancing act." he says.
OVA also commissioned a study
to identify the nutritional benefits of
veal. The study found veal is the
lowest of all the red meats in fats and
SEPTEMBER 2002 45