On-farm mobile abattoir go-ahead

THE first mobile abattoir to be allowed to operate in Victoria is set to make its debut on a Bannockburn farm.

A licence to operate the vehicle-based abattoir in Victoria has been awarded to a company co-founded by Bannockburn farmer Chris Balazs.

The licensing of Provenir’s mobile abattoir by PrimeSafe is the culmination of a six-year journey to change state laws and disrupt the traditional abattoir industry.

Developed to improve animal welfare and with the aim of producing the best quality meat, Provenir’s mobile abattoir eliminates the stress to animals associated with live transport.

Mr Balazs will be the first farmer in the state to have his cattle processed using the mobile abattoir on his property, SageFarm.

“Mobile processing makes so much sense for farmers, for livestock and for consumers. It’s the way of the future for red meat in Australia,” Mr Balazs said.

“As well as the high welfare of the livestock, Provenir is focused on providing full traceability and true provenance.

“By processing on-farm and using the latest in digital traceability technology, we are able to provide full transparency and guaranteed provenance that is validated by the customer themselves.”

Provenir was launched in June last year after being licensed by the NSW Food Authority to operate, an Australian-first, mobile onfarm abattoir.

The journey to include the word “vehicle” in the definition of abattoir in the Meat Industries Act 1993 (Victoria), started in 2014.

Provenir is now seeking expressions of interest from Victorian grass-fed cattle farmers, particularly those practising regenerative farming.