Breeder in Ariège, David Grange returned to his causes of battle in favor of mobile slaughter.
He may not have the largest herd of all Areej (about twenty cows on his farm in Reverendert), but he is undoubtedly the most committed breeder in the area in terms of mobile slaughter. David Grange, in his fifties, is one of those who rally to change lines and break codes. His ambition is one day to slaughter his cattle directly on his farm. “The benefit of mobile slaughter is mainly animal welfare. Then comes the personal satisfaction of the breeder, who does his job to the end and does not betray his animals at the last moment. Finally, we talk about keeping circuits short in response to consumer expectations.”
Environmental dimension and the idea of labeling
To amortize the costs of this process, they are already ready to slightly increase their prices: “Ladleful, the additional cost to consumers is estimated at 50 euro cents per kilo. My meat was sold for 13.50 euros per kilo, and as soon as the slaughter is done on the farm, I will sell it for 14 euros. You have to stop Eat meat at 2 or 3 euros a kilo and get everything back on track.”
Right now, mindsets struggle to evolve, though everyone is doing their part. Both breeders and slaughterhouse owners would like to see this system become permanent in the near future (the pilot phase is scheduled to end in 2023).
David Gangé continues: “I understand the director of the Saint-Gaudens slaughterhouse when he says he’s hesitant, because the restrictions he’s under are real. He agrees to take back the carcasses slaughtered on the farm but wants everything to be OK. And it would be an application of vade-mecum (instructions, note). ed.) for the squares. Slaughter on the farm must respect applicable standards and not go there the old-fashioned way, with an axe, on the kitchen table.”
In conversations with slaughterhouses, veterinary services and the ministry for years, David Grange would like to finally get the situation out. “We have to change the test. We’ve been talking for five years, but we need a local slaughterhouse that says, ‘OK, we’re engaged.’ If you have to travel 100 kilometers to go to a slaughterhouse, it doesn’t agree with the proximity values we advocate.”
Finally, the idea of a future “Slaughtered on the Farm” poster is on the minds of the project leaders. Fear of pressure from meat lobbies exists, but hopes remain. “Nothing will be easy in this case but we have a good hope that you will succeed,” concludes Aregua.
