Murray Plains Meat Cooperative members tour the micro abattoir.
The Barham Micro Abattoir has achieved a major milestone after the facility received approval to process red meat.
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The abattoir is a multi-species facility that will cater to paddock-to-plate producers across the region.
Murray River Council Mayor John Harvie said the additional approvals are a win for the cooperative and local industry.
“It’s fantastic to see the Barham Micro Abattoir now able to operate with full processing approvals,” Cr Harvie said.
“This is a terrific achievement for our region, supporting local producers, strengthening our food supply chain and adding value to our local meat industry.”
The facility has been operational since late 2024 after initially gaining approval to process poultry only.
Murray River Council was awarded $2.2 million of state and federal funding on behalf of the co-operative for the establishment of the micro-abattoir.
As a result, the council is the project manager of the build and subsequent owner of the facility.
Murray Plains Meat Co-op members tour the micro abattoir.
Murray Plains Meat Cooperative chair Lachlan McKenzie said the group was thrilled to have reached this important milestone.
“With the approval to now process red meat as well as poultry, we have achieved our goals of establishing a high-quality livestock processing facility that can service the local region,” he said.
“Thank-you to the board for their assistance on the road to being fully operational and members of the cooperative for their patience.
“For those producers who are interested in using the facility, we will have correspondence available over this coming week detailing booking procedures.”
Council will remain custodians of the building for a nominated period, at which time complete ownership with be transferred to the Murray Plains Meat Cooperative.