U.S. May Be Under a Wrong Impression With Respect To Cow Slaughter In Canada:
This was taken from a U.S. Newsrelease Week 22 Aug 2003:
The Canadians want the U.S. to show flexibility on the demand that cattle under 30 months be slaughtered in a facility that does not also process older cows. Currently, animals of all ages are slaughtered in the same plants.
Here is the information that I received from Canada on Cow Slaughter capacity date 22 Aug 2003:
I'd also like to clear up some understanding that some of the US analysts have, the two big packers in Alberta Cargill at high river, and Tyson at brooks are not going to be killing cows, Infact cargill has never killed cows, and IBP does it rarely. so the thought that the packers can't meet the USDA's requirement of young stock only is a bit erroneous. Cargill and tyson have kill capacity of 2 mi hd, Better beef in Ontario which does kill cows has capacity of about 600,000 hd so would you kill a few thousand cows for the sake of loosing a bigger young stock sales, not likely. We do have a cow killing problem here, but only if we can't sell meat later. If we can sell cow meat we will establish a dedicated cow plant just like many plants in the states do. we will not likely have dual purpose plants.
We do have a plants in Calgary and Moose Jaw (Sask) that do kill cows and will likely go that way full time for the near future. Every province is looking at plants and investments to kill cows, the catch is where does the meat go? we can't eat our way out of this one.
posted by Dr. Harlan Hughes 8:16 PM[edit]