Provincially inspected abattoirs have until the end of April to apply for part of a $2 million Ontario fund aimed at improving food safety, animal welfare, and biosecurity measures at their operations.
Available through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP), eligible projects may include: capital upgrades for enhanced food safety, improvements in the safe handling and housing of animals, and new equipment for safe and efficient animal-hides disposal. Ontario recently lost its main hide buyer, and abattoirs have been faced with increasing costs associated with disposal of hides.
“Meat & Poultry Ontario would like to thank both the federal and provincial governments for their continued support of the 123 provincially inspected abattoir family businesses,” says Carol Goriup, president of Meat & Poultry Ontario. “Abattoirs are the lynchpin of our local food system, and this critical investment will enable improved efficiencies and expanded capacities, ultimately helping farmers grow.”
This cost-share intake for abattoirs opens on February 19, 2020 and applications will be accepted until April 30, 2020, as long as funding for the initiative is available. Eligible projects must be completed on or before December 31, 2020.
The Ontario and Canadian governments also announced up to $292,600 under the Places to Grow initiative to help the Beef Farmers of Ontario with marketing efforts to access emerging markets in Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, and the European Union. The cost-shared project will “encourage export-market diversification and support efforts to increase volume and sales through trade missions, promotional events and the development of new brands.”
For more information about the provincially licensed abattoir funding cost-share initiative or to obtain a guidebook, email: [email protected] or call: 1-877-424-1300.
