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Cape Breton’s only provincially inspected beef abattoir is now open, giving island farmers a local option for processing their cattle.
MB Meat company in Judique held a grand opening on Saturday though it has been operating since May 20.
The provincial government invested $250,000 in the business through the Nova Scotia Beef Processing Program, part of the $1.5 million provincial Beef Initiative.
Laura McNabb, a co-owner of the facility, said the funding helped the business get off the ground.
“The funding allowed us to purchase equipment and supplies that may otherwise have been delayed, while providing the peace of mind that our dream could be completed as intended,” she stated in a news release.
The island has been without a government-licensed abattoir since 2018.
Since that time, Cape Breton beef farmers have had to ship their cattle to Goshen in Guysborough County for processing if they wanted to sell their meat on the island.
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Agriculture Minister Greg Morrow said farmers in Cape Breton have told him that the lack of abattoir services on the island was a major concern.
“Now they can do it in Judique in Cape Breton, that gives producers an option that’s closer to home,” he said.
“It helps reduce transportation costs and barriers, and it helps create more economic activity in the area. So, it’s a win all around.”
Morrow said he visited the farm and met McNabb and her husband Jared two years ago.
Shortly after the Nova Scotia Beef Processing Program was announced, he ran into Jared at an agricultural event in Truro and urged him to apply, as a way of getting his business “over the finish line.”
MB Meat Company was started by two families who returned to Cape Breton from Alberta.
McNabb, her husband Jared, her cousin Chad and Chad’s wife Dawn.
Jared , whom McNabb described as an “Alberta cowboy”, manages the cattle ranch located next to the abattoir.
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Chad Boudreau, who trained at the National Meat Training Centre in Alberta, handles the butchering side of the business.
The abattoir processes animals once a week and has cooled storage for 22 carcasses.
Whether processing their own animals or providing custom cutting for other farmers, McNabb said the operation is subject to provincial oversight.
According to the province, support has been provided to two abattoirs and 35 producers to date.
Morrow said funding is still available for other businesses that want to build or expand their processing capacity.
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