District abattoir asks for donations

News Release
RRDRA

The non-profit Abattoir in Emo has received tentative approval to process poultry according to Board President Bill Darby. After getting a response recently from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Darby said, “We were given a green light to process poultry provided we purchase and install the right equipment, and operate according to the proposal we submitted”.
But there’s a glitch. The Abattoir doesn’t have the extra money to purchase the equipment. So the Board decided to advise the public and farming community about their need for help to buy it. “There’s a lot of public demand for local, farm-raised chicken, and this is basic community infrastructure required to produce it”, Darby added.
“We are estimating it will take about $5,000 to buy the necessary equipment”, said Darby. “This includes items like plastic crates to house birds when they are received, electric stunner, plucker and stainless steel racks”.
“So we are asking the public for financial assistance”, he added. “If you are keen to see us process local chickens and turkeys, we would appreciate a donation sent to the Rainy River District Regional Abattoir at our Box 299 address in Emo”.
Earlier this winter, Darby provided an update to the Rainy River Cattlemen’s Annual Membership Meeting on the Abattoir’s efforts to close the gap between revenues and expenses. He asked farmers at that time to bring more animals to the Abattoir to help keep it going. “Use it or lose it”, he said.