A pending change to meat inspection in the province is raising concerns.
The current agreement between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the province officially expires June 15, although the CFIA has agreed to continue to oversee inspections until the end of 2013 when the province will take over. (The change doesn’t affect federally registered plants.)
Some meat processors are concerned it will mean higher costs for them.
“It’s going to really suck for us; they are talking about putting some of the expenses on to the abattoirs,” said Cornie Banman, owner of Banman Meats in Schanzenfeld.
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Banman said he was contacted by the province for input regarding provincial meat inspection a few weeks ago and was told that passing the increased cost of inspection on to businesses was one of the options discussed.
“I told them that if that is what they plan to do, I would go strictly to farm kill… that plan will put people out of business,” Banman said.
The business owner said he asked his CFIA inspector about coming changes, but the inspector doesn’t know what’s in store, either.
The Agriculture Union, an arm of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, that represents federal meat inspectors currently working in Manitoba is looking for answers.
“We’re as much in the dark here as anyone else,” said regional vice-president Sam Barlin. “We have been asking CFIA what directions are coming from the provinces, and I know there are continuing meetings, but at this time none of the provinces have indicated what plan they have for moving forward.”
The union has warned planned changes to meat inspection will widen the gap between federally and provincially inspected facilities, and increase costs for the provinces.
Interview requests yielded little information. In an email, a CFIA spokeswoman said, “this will require new agreements be put into place that will govern the relationship between the CFIA and the provinces during the 1-1/2-year transition period.”
Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Minister Ron Kostyshyn declined to be interviewed, but a spokeswoman said via email that negotiations are ongoing and “MAFRI and CFIA are working together to ensure a smooth transition of these inspection services.”
The province recently issued a tender that asks for a review of all inspection services in provincially registered abattoirs, including ante-mortem and post-mortem examination of livestock, oversight of animal welfare, slaughter, and processing procedures. The tender also calls for assessments of other jurisdictions’ meat inspection models.
The CFIA is holding similar negotiations with Saskatchewan and B.C.
