CITYnews halifax : N.S. invests in Cape Breton meat company to beef up local production

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

A provincial investment announced over the weekend is aiming to help producers in Cape Breton process more local beef.

An area business owner says people want to know where their food comes from.

Agriculture Minister Greg Morrow was in Judique on Saturday, announcing the $250,000 dollar investment in MB Meat Company.

The money aims to support the opening of Cape Breton’s only provincially-inspected beef abbatoir with the new facility set to help farmers process beef, allowing local islanders to buy more locally-raised beef.

“This investment supports local producers, strengthens our food system and helps more Nova Scotia beef reach dinner tables,” says Minister Morrow in a release. “MB Meat Company is a strong example of families investing in their community and building the kind of local infrastructure that supports farmers, rural communities and our economy.”

The business was established by two families who returned to Cape Breton to build up the operation.

“Our customers want to know where their food comes from, and they want to support local farmers whenever they can,” says Holger Hartenstein, owner of Chanterelle Inn & Restaurant in Baddeck. “Having inspected beef processed here on Cape Breton makes it easier for us to serve more beef that’s raised right here at home.”

With files from Steve Gow, CityNews Halifax