In a first for Victoria, a local mobile abattoir has been granted a processing licence by Victoria's food safety authority PrimeSafe.
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Provenir Pty Ltd, founded by a Bannockburn farmer, a Talbot chef, a vet, a marketer, an educator and a lawyer, had already been licenced by the NSW Food Authority to operate in June 2019, but the Victorian licence had been long sought.
Provenir was granted a "Licence to Operate a Vehicle Based Abattoir" by PrimeSafe this week.
Farmer, CEO and co-founder Chris Balazs says he's proud to be the first farmer in Victoria to have his own cattle processed on-farm.
"On-farm processing is the Holy Grail of animal welfare and the production of the highest quality meat," Balazs says.
"For me, personally achieving our Victorian abattoir licence is the culmination of seven years' hard work, and it would never have been possible without the support, guidance, dedication and sheer tenacity of the Provenir founders."
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With a strong Victorian base - four of its founders live in the state - Balazs says he always disliked having to transport his cattle to slaughter across the state.
"As a farmer myself, I hate loading my livestock onto the back of a truck," Balazs says.
"I work so hard to get them in top condition only to risk losing it all to a bad trip. I always knew there had to be a better way. 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."
Since April 2014 Provenir say they have participated in a novel meat supply study, consulted with industry experts, liaised with all levels of Government, worked with Agriculture Victoria to change the law, to include the word "vehicle" to the definition of abattoir in the Meat Industries Act 1993 (Victoria), and consulted with PrimeSafe to develop a new Vehicle-Based Abattoir licence category.
Chef, Talbot Provedore principal and co-founder Christopher Howe says his passion for serving local produce of the highest quality will be increased by the ability to process on-farm in Victoria.
"When I encountered challenges accessing local meat with true provenance, I became determined to change the way meat is processed and accessed in Australia," Howe says.
"It's an incredible feeling to have finally achieved this vision in Victoria. I'll soon be able to serve local on-farm processed beef in my restaurant in Central Victoria and also offer chefs our amazing quality beef with true provenance."