Local supermarkets running low on beef
Posted July 4, 2013 11:15 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The floods in Alberta are now having an impact on the meat sections in local grocery stores.
That’s thanks to the closure of Cargill Ltd’s plant just outside High River, Alberta. The meat packer will restart as soon as the town’s water treatment plant is operational.
The Cargill facility is the biggest meat plant in Canada.
“That has taken 50 per cent of the meat supply from Western Canada. That has put a lot of strain on the big retailers who rely on getting a lot of beef in and out of their doors, especially during the summertime,” explains Chad Heringer of Heringers Meats in Steveston.
He points out that while he gets his beef from small suppliers, all retailers are affected.
“Because all of a sudden those big box retailers are starting to buy from my suppliers as well. It’s demand. There’s a shortage. They are looking everywhere to fill the hole.”
Cargill is expected to be back in operation in the middle of next week. Heringer says it could take up to four weeks to address the backlog.
