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Rural farmers fear reprisals from OMAFRA |
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More than 200 people crammed into the Elmwood Community Centre recently to air their concerns and protests regarding the demise of the Bruce County abattoirs. At the Haines Review in 2004, the National Farmers Union (NFU) of Ontario said that small, local, inspected abattoirs are an essential part of a diverse culture and local food system and that they are a key link between livestock farmer and consumers, chefs and all who want locally-grown and processed meats. In the days before the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), which now regulates all abattoirs and other aspects of agriculture , there was what was known as 'the beef ring'. As reported in the "Rural Voice" by Arnold Mathers, "...the beef ring was a rural creation born out of necessity in the days before refrigeration. Up to 20 families, usually along one concession road or in one rural area, would join together to form a beef ring so that everyone could have fresh meat throughout the summer. Each family donated one fattened steer to the 'ring' during the year or every second year. Each farmer would know in advance when to have beef fattened and ready and butchering was done at one of the farms or a butcher shop and then divided among the families ... ... strict records were kept of what each family received and each would get the equivalent of a full beef each year. During the summer, the beef was kept in an ice house cooled by square blocks of ice covered in sawdust ... ... by the 1950s, with the advent of supermarket shopping and refrigeration, the beef ring's demise was imminent." Today, OMAFRA and the University of Guelph are in partnership attracts a critical mass of research expertise to the University and the city of Guelph. The ministry's direct contribution increased in 2008/2009 to $59.1 million with additional one-time funding bringing the total annual ministry contribution to $76.1 million. In Bruce County, Ontario's largest agricultural and beef producing area, the number of abattoirs has drastically declined from over 900 to 150. According to those who attended the meeting at the Elmwood Centre, the decline is due in large part to the "...over-zealous OMAFRA inspectors who act without common sense and in a threatening way. They do not want the small abattoir to survive. The make unreasonable demands and give unreasonable time lines to meet them making it difficult, if not impossible, to meet the standards they are demanding. " Many raised concerns that the government "... appears to want the 'buy-local' food movement to flourish while actually throwing up roadblocks to prevent it from succeeding." |Among those who spoke, one abattoir owner said that "... most are trying to be responsible in their handling procedures but, when you can't disagree with an inspector because he threatens to close you down if you do, then something is wrong."
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One owner of a small poultry abattoir expressed that he felt the underlying current was "...all about big corporate money and imported produce." Many in the audience felt that, although more than 200 people had turned out for the meeting, almost all were "on the same page and it was, in effect, 'preaching to the choir'. "We must organize if we want to make any headway at all with this government," said one speaker. Many expressed concerns that they feared reprisal by OMAFRA inspectors and felt that most inspectors were 'book-trained' but had very little, if any, rural field experience and were abusing their powers. By the end of the meeting, the general overall consensus was that Bruce and Grey Counties were the main agricultural mainstay of the province and that OMAFRA was a dangerous organization that was seriously affecting the rural way of life and farming. [Those who spoke would not give their names for fear of reprisal by OMAFRA inspectors]. Also see
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