Montana Ag Network: The state of meat processing

Havre, Montana – The annual membership meeting of the Montana Premium Processing Co-Op board of directors was held in Havre recently.

The agenda items for the meeting included a status update on the new processing facility and strategies for growing comparable enterprises throughout Montana.

According to Walter Schweitzer, president of the Montana Farmer’s Union, the state can raise about 40,000 cattle annually but only consumes about 100,000.

However, for localities like Havre, modest decentralized processing factories contribute to increased profitability and accessibility.

The Havre members of the Montana Premium Processing Co-op like the openness of the plant’s operations.

Rudyard farmer and rancher Aaryn Boehm claims that his product gains from local processing in a number of ways.

Schools, neighbors, and other members of small communities benefit from the meat rather than big box distributors undercutting earnings, which would happen if additional small meat processors opened up shops around the state.