January 18, 2008

US state of Vermont to roll out slaughterhouse on wheels

A mobile slaughterhouse may be rolling to a place near you, if you live in the state of Vermont in the US.                   

Deputy agriculture secretary Anson Tebbetts said a mobile abattoir will enable poultry to be sold at schools, restaurants, and hospitals, giving small poultry producers more access to retail markets.

A 32-foot trailer equipped with slaughter room, scalding pot and processing area would help save transportation costs for poultry farmers, Tebbetts said.

Poultry farmers have been finding transportation of live birds to the nearest USFA facility in southern Vermont to be too expensive as raw materials costs are soaring.

The goal is also to give smaller producers access to the "Buy Local" movement which encourages consumers to buy from farmers' markets or even to produce their own food, with the argument that fresh, local products are more nutritious and taste better.

Tebbetts said plans are underway to have the trailer operational by March/April 2008. The mobile abattoir, costing US$80,000, will have a processing capacity of 200 birds per day.