Southwest Beef Initiative Meetings Draw Strong Support From Producers

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

There is likely no more satisfying job for someone in the business of agricultural diversification than to travel around southwestern Saskatchewan asking beef producers for their support for a new packing plant.

That is precisely what Karen Bonesky has been doing for the last few months on behalf of the Southwest Beef Initiative.

“Southwest Beef is calling on beef producers and bison producers in the province to commit to the supply of 60,000 head for a new packing plant that will be built near Swift Current," she explains. "We have been targeting farmers and ranchers since mid-November, and their support for this initiative has been overwhelming.”

The Southwest Beef Initiative has held more than 20 meetings in November and December around communities like Oyen, Eastend, Shaunavon, Leader, Climax, Gull Lake, Kyle, Consul, Val Marie, Chaplin, Mankota, Maple Creek, Cadillac, Coronach, Mayfair, Unity, Vanscoy, Beechy, Alida, Craik, Birch Hills and Swift Current.

Bonesky has barely had a chance to catch her breath, and she is off again this month to places like Abbey, Mortlach and Warman.

“We are working on our final marketing plan, and central to this is the establishment of a strong supply base—one that can sustain a 200-head per day operation,” she says. “This initiative is supported by partners who are cattle producers, feedlot operators and veterinarians. There are also rural municipalities, the City of Swift Current, the credit unions of southwest Saskatchewan, the Southwest Community Futures Development Corporation and the First Nations of Saskatchewan.

“Together they make up Southwest Beef, which will cater to both global and domestic marketplaces. Working with local, regional and global partners, Southwest Beef will create jobs and training opportunities, aligning the components of a regional value chain, which utilizes the existing infrastructure and resources in southwest Saskatchewan.”

To find out more, visit: www.greatwestbeef.ca.

For more information, contact:

Karen Bonesky
Southwest Beef Initiative
(306) 773-4747
www.greatwestbeef.ca