The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association helped to provide a boost to Food Banks in Saskatchewan as they hold their annual Beef Drive. This year, they received an extra bit as the Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association provided $10,000 above and beyond the beef donated to the food banks.
General Manager of the SSGA, Chad MacPherson, explained the program started in 2016 and has been working to help the 32 food banks in the province each year with donations of beef.
“The beef drive consists of beef producers donating animals to the program, and they take them to local abattoirs and have them processed into ground beef that is then donated to the 32 food banks across Saskatchewan,” MacPherson said. “In return for that, the beef producer receives a charitable tax receipt for the number of pounds that the animal dresses.”
With the backlog in the beef industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is something MacPherson indicated more producers are looking at.
“There is definitely an opportunity for producers if you have some different animals that might not fit into the marketplace, that you could extract more value for yourselves and help get some different cull caps through the system at this time.”
MacPherson added food banks can also use the donations of the beef, as it is something they often struggle with having in stock.
The SSGA has received positive feedback, with the Food Banks of Saskatchewan being appreciative of the support form beef producers across the province.
Chair of the SCA, Arnold Balicki, said it is important to remember the most vulnerable, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.
“Saskatchewan beef producers hold the communities they live and work in close to their hearts,” Balicki said in a written statement. “The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association is proud to partner with the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association with a $10,000 donation to help with the cost of processing the beef that is donated to Saskatchewan’s local food banks.
“During this pandemic, it is very important to us all to pull together to ensure everyone, including our most vulnerable, are looked after.”
The meat is distributed as one-pound packages of frozen ground beef by the 32 food banks in the province.
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