Dear editor:
During the past months, there have been articles in the Times about local cattlemen planning to build an abattoir in the district.
I wonder if any of the cattlemen have thought of the production end of the business.
These days, beef is graded. ‘AA’ is the top grade and the grade sold by most stores. Not many cattle from pasture will make Grade ‘A’ beef.
Grade ‘A’ beef means grain-fed cattle. How many cattlemen are prepared to feed their herd large grain rations for six, eight, or 10 weeks.
We know how many head can be put through the abattoir in a week. The question is, how many you can sell in a week?
It is not my intention to knock the abattoir—I only want to bring to the attention of cattlemen some of the problems they will have.
Yours truly,
Maurice MacMillan
Emo, Ont.