With funding from the Governments of Canada and British Columbia, the BC Cattlemen's Association will facilitate the development of a business plan to identify investors and supply chain partners and identify any challenges or obstacles that could impede the plant development. BCCA will be investing $16,000 along with $144,000 from the Federal and Provincial governments through Growing Forward 2.
Dan Ruimy, BC MP stated, "The Government of Canada is proud to support the planning of a new federally-inspected plant in Prince George. A sound business plan will lay the groundwork for a successful operation which will bring benefits to the region and make it easier for Canadian beef to reach international markets, contributing to a prosperous and thriving industry."
"The business plan is the final step in due diligence before a significant investment is made in an actual plant," says Kevin Boon, BCCA General Manger. "Investing a few thousand dollars upfront to make sure that a plant is viable is the best thing for B.C. and the BC beef industry."
A viability study was completed in 2015 that indicated that BC could support a federally inspected packing plant but certain sectors of the production chain would need significant infrastructure development. It highlighted the potential for a BC plant to differentiate product for branding and export capabilities.
Currently, BC has two federally inspected plants capable of processing small numbers of cattle but the majority of cattle are processed in Alberta or U.S. BC Cattlemen's Association appreciates the support of the Governments of Canada and British Columbia in moving this project forward and ensuring a strong and vibrant cattle industry in BC.
Source: Meatbusiness