NEW RESTRICTIONS ON BEEF OVERKILL: RUNCIMAN,
BROWN
BROCKVILLE - The Ontario government
has gone overboard on new restrictions that
prohibit licensed butchers from cutting, wrapping,
and freezing beef from local farmers who kill
their own cattle for family use, says Bob Runciman,
MPP and Gord Brown, MP for Leed-Grenville.
The two Leeds-Grenville representatives have
received complaints from local farmers who have
recently discovered that they can no longer
have their personal cattle, killed on their
own farms, cut and wrapped by area producers
including butcher shops.
“This is another case of overkill that
is causing grief for Ontario beef farmers,”
said Runciman. “Now if a farmer wants
to eat his own beef, killed on his own farm,
he has to have the skill and facilities to butcher
the animal, wrap and freeze it himself. This
is ridiculous.”
The other alternative is for the farmer to
transport live cattle to the closest abattoir
and have it slaughtered there. This will mean
beef farmers will have to pay almost commercial
prices for cattle raised on their own farm.
Prior to September 1, 2004, farmers could kill
a beef cow on their own farm and take it to
licensed meat shops to be cut up, wrapped and
frozen.
Strangely enough the new regulations do not
apply to wild game.
“We are not talking about beef that is
going to be sold, we are talking about personal
beef for personal use,” said Runciman.
“No wonder farmers feel they are in the
gunsights of the McGuinty government.”
Runciman is circulating a petition he will
introduce when the Ontario government resumes
sitting on October 12. Brown, the federal member,
has agreed to help circulate the petition because
he has also received complaints and agrees with
Runciman these new restrictions won’t
really promote safety but will prove costly
to local farmers.
Media Contact:
Don Swayne
(613) 342-9522
Cattle
petition form (word document)
