Mobile Slaughter Trailers &
Emergency Preparedness
Natural disasters driven by climate change and increasing disease outbreaks pose a growing threat to the livestock sector. These events can force producers to make urgent decisions around depopulating animals due to wildfires, floods, or biosecurity risks. Transportation routes may become inaccessible, and movement of animals can heighten the spread of disease. At the same time, processing facilities that are already operating at capacity are unable to handle the sudden influx of livestock during an emergency.
Producers are left facing impossible choices. Do they leave livestock behind and risk loss due to fire, flood, or mudslide? Do they attempt dangerous transport routes? Do they stay behind, putting their own safety and their families at risk? If feed is inaccessible and animals can't be moved to an abattoir, what then?
To respond to these challenges, we are establishing a coordinated regional response network and the infrastructure to support it.
The Mobile Slaughter Trailer Project builds on SSMPA’s existing work increasing meat processing capacity through mobile slaughter and delivering education and training. Our aim is to establish a coordinated emergency response network supported by a fleet of slaughter trailers and strategically located food hubs throughout the province.
The project focuses on infrastructure through mobile slaughter trailers that can be deployed in emergencies to enable the humane depopulation of livestock. Where appropriate, these trailers can also support the safe harvesting of meat for further processing and community distribution.
SSMPA is working in close partnership with the Kamloops Food Policy Council (KFPC) to develop emergency response procedures. KFPC will lead the coordination of volunteers, work with emergency management authorities to develop disaster response protocols, and serve as the on-the-ground coordinator during emergencies. Outside of emergency scenarios, SSMPA will lease the trailers to trained and certified local slaughter professionals, helping meet the ongoing demand for slaughter capacity in the Thompson-Nicola region and beyond.
The Trailers
SSMPA’s fleet of nine mobile slaughter trailers was built by a Canadian manufacturer based in Lethbridge, Alberta. Each unit is fully self-contained and equipped with hot and cold water, a generator, propane, a winch system, and a rail system. The trailers meet all required health, safety, and animal welfare standards and best practices.
Each trailer is refrigerated, allowing carcasses to be transported safely to licensed cut-and-wrap facilities. All the farmer needs to do is bring the animals close enough to the trailer for the winch to reach them.
All trailers are designed to handle large animals (e.g., cattle, lamb, pigs), and some are also equipped for poultry processing.
Key Partners
-
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The Government of British Columbia and the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC are pleased to participate in the delivery of this project. They are committed to working with their industry partners to address issues of importance to the agriculture and agri-food industry in British Columbia. Opinions expressed in this webpage are those of SSMPA and not necessarily those of the Investment Agriculture Foundation or the Government of British Columbia.
-
KFPC is a key partner in this project funded by IAF. They will coordinate the use of trailers and volunteer mobilization in emergency situations. In emergencies, KFPC’s licensed food processing space and cold storage facilities will be used to cut, wrap and store meat brought in by the fleet of slaughter trailers. KFPC is also responsible for managing the deployment of volunteers who are prepared to help process meat in the case of an emergency and coordinating with farmers whose meat is processed as well as emergency response authorities to ensure a well-organized response across the region.
-
SSMPA and KFPC are working closely with provincial emergency authorities to ensure slaughter trailers are integrated into BC’s broader emergency response systems, including permitting trailer operators and volunteers to cross into evacuation zones when necessary.
-
We are collaborating with the Ministry to ensure that mobile slaughter trailers fully comply with animal processing and welfare regulations.
-
We are working with local First Nations to ensure trailers are incorporated in ways that respect cultural protocols and support Indigenous food sovereignty and economic development.
-
Trained volunteers are essential to this project’s success. Under the supervision of certified butchers and in licensed facilities, volunteers will cut and wrap meat during emergency responses. All volunteers will be trained by SSMPA in meat handling, food safety, and livestock welfare.
-
Farmers are vital partners in this initiative. By registering for a Premises ID, producers can receive timely updates and emergency services. Outside of emergency situations, farmers can access mobile slaughter services on-farm, supporting local food systems and trailer operator sustainability.
-
In non-emergency times, trained local operators lease the trailers to provide slaughter services in their communities. During emergencies, they commit to participating in the coordinated response, working alongside KFPC and volunteers.
Education & Training
Education is central to this initiative’s success. SSMPA, alongside experienced slaughter, butchery, and livestock handling professionals, will deliver training sessions to volunteers supporting emergency operations.
Training will cover:
Safe slaughter and meat processing
Livestock handling and welfare
Food safety best practices
SSMPA will also continue sharing information with producers about slaughter regulations, Farmgate licensing, biosecurity, and the importance of registering for a Premises ID.
Volunteer support is critical in emergency situations. Volunteers will help meet the demand for processing services during emergencies by working under the guidance of trained butchers to cut and wrap meat brought in by the trailers. In emergency situations, the volunteer response will be coordinated by KFPC.
Volunteers will receive training by SSMPA in livestock handling, meat processing, and food safety. Your involvement can make a meaningful impact during disasters and help build a more resilient local food system.
History of the Project
In 2021, SSMPA surveyed 619 small-scale meat operations across British Columbia. The results demonstrated that the most significant barrier faced by these producers is access to slaughter. (Click the image to access the survey.)
Thanks in part to SSMPA’s ongoing advocacy on this issue, the BC Government amended provincial meat regulations in 2021 to allow on-farm slaughtered meat to be sold anywhere in the province under a Farmgate License—making mobile slaughter legally and logistically viable.
Since then, SSMPA has deployed three mobile slaughter trailers, currently operating in communities such as the Peace, Kootenays, North Okanagan, and Vancouver Island.
With this new phase of the project, additional trailers will be built and deployed, alongside SSMPA’s existing trailers and the new regional processing facility SSMPA is constructing near Armstrong, BC. These resources will form a province-wide network of “Butcher Hubs,” addressing the ongoing shortage in processing capacity for small-scale producers.
These trailers, combined with regional meat processing facilities and a trained volunteer force, will also serve as a critical emergency response resource. In the event of wildfires, floods, or disease outbreaks, the trailers and trained teams can be rapidly deployed to communities to provide essential slaughter—and where feasible—cut-and-wrap services.
