By Jesse-Ann Hennessey
Special to KingsCountyNews.ca
Things have become a little more pressing recently for people involved in the cattle and pork industry in Nova Scotia.
O.H. Armstrong’s kill floor operation, Bowlby’s Meats and Larsen’s closures have reduced processing options for local producers - and they now might lose another.
Kings West MLA Leo Glavine said he has been hearing rumours that a slaughterhouse in Antigonish might be closing in late spring.
“We need to meet with the minister to see if there is a plan to support small local slaughterhouses because there are many throughout Nova Scotia,” said Glavine.
A small incentive may be the answer, based on the success of a one a number of years ago that saw small slaughterhouses turning a dollar again, he added.
“A small incentive could, in fact, fill a large gap left from Armstrong’s closing,” Glavine said. “We also need to start supporting our local food network.”
By the year 2020, Glavine wants to see 20 per cent of all food consumed in Nova Scotia grown and produced in the province, which is a reasonable goal, he believes.
“It will take government and agricultural leadership, but it can certainly be done.”
