Plant plans progressing
We continue to make progress with the process of converting our St. Boniface plant into a federally-certified beef packing plant. The team we’ve assembled includes some of the beef industry’s leading experts on engineering and plant design and construction. We’re also working closely with consultants with deep international experience in setting up and running successful and profitable beef plants.
It’s extremely gratifying to hear these experts say they’ve rarely seen better business plans for a beef plant than ours. And it’s even better to hear how they believe the quality of our Manitoba cattle will really make the difference as we pursue our goal of developing premium brands of beef for various consumer markets.
As we finalize the plant blueprints, we’re making sure it will give us the flexibility to target premium niche markets for Kosher and Halal beef immediately. And our intention is to be able to handle multiple species (ie. bison). The plant as we conceive it will give us a near perfect combination of flexibility and efficiency.
There are endless details to consider and we’re fortunate to have some great partners with the Manitoba Cattle Enhancement Council. Together we’re assembling an extremely strong management team and board of directors with international experience and the know-how to make our plans a reality in the shortest time possible.
I’m assuming your plant will include slaughtering. Have you considered the latest in humane slaughtering? I read an article about a woman who actually helps professionals design slaughtering facilities. They say the less stress the animal feels, the better the meat because stress hormones aren’t released. And humane is just the right thing to do.
Hi Susan,
I assume you’re referring to Dr. Temple Grandin. We are implementing the Temple Grandin system into our plant. http://www.grandin.com for more info.
Thanks for your interest. Keep coming back to visit.
Have you heard of Dr. Lyn Locatelli with Cattle Expressions out of the US. She has presented their ideas on quiet cattle handling to various producer and veterinarian groups in the province. I’ve personally heard her speak twice and have been quite impressed with what I’ve seen as it applies to what I see daily in the field within our Veterinary practice. Their ideas vary from Dr. Grandin and may be worth having a look at. My concern with Dr. Grandin and the crowding tub use is the funneling into the chute run. Although the advancing animal can see two ahead of it(assuming you get a lead animal advancing up the run)it can also see several behind it. Having a look at the bud box system promoted by Cattle Expressions may be worthwhile. In my experience any funneling leads to crowding, stalling the flow of cattle.
I agree strongly with Dr. Richard`s comments regarding the use of the bud box system in making cattle movement much smoother. I work with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and humane handling of animals is a high priority.