The Rural Voice, 1998-06, Page 26Caught in the squeeze
With governments trying to trim costs and consumers
more and more worried about food safety, small local
abattoirs worry about being caught in a cost squeeze
that could mean the end of local meat processing
By Janice Becker
Small local abattoirs are part of the food chain and the local economy, allowing
farmers to produce meat for the local market. But growing concern for consumer
food safety is combining with government cuts to endanger the local packers.
22 THE RURAL VOICE
t is an age-old battle; the conflict
between government regulations,
consumer demands and the right
of the business owner over the
operation of his facility; and this time
it is being waged in some sectors of
the meat inspection industry.
With the global focus on larger,
amalgamated operations, and cost-
cutting by governments, there are
several issues which the owners of
small, rural abattoirs are having to
adjust and cope with while trying to
maintain a viable business.
The one with the most immediate
impact is the slashing of dollars spent
by the provincial meat inspection
branch.
Trimming $7.5 million from the
$12.5 million budget is intended to
eliminate inefficiencies both in the
inspection'system itself and the
abattoirs over which it is responsible.
With the elimination of 70 per cent
of the budget, a method to fairly
allocate inspection hours in an
effective way had to be devised, says
Leo Rocheleau, president of Ontario
Independent Meat Packers and
Processors.
"For those plants which operate
efficiently, they get the hours they
need. For those that don't, extra
hours required must be paid for by
the owner. If the service is free, why
pay attention to efficiency."
However, it is just that concept of
paying for extra hours which worries
Wayne Newman, co-chair of The
Farmers of Ontario campaign and
chair of the Ontario Agricultural
Commodities Council. He questions
who the inspectors will be really
working for if government cuts
continue to force more of the cost for
the service onto the business owner.
Cutting inspection budgets, for any
food sector, is not the direction the
provincial government should be
heading, he says.
"We want the government
involved in the process as a third
party for consumer confidence," he
says. "There is testing and quality
control showing that the farmers are
producing a good product,
particularly in the pork industry, so
when the product is passed to the
slaughter house, the government
inspectors should be there to test for
drugs or other contaminants."
"Though the Harris government