Overview of ILO issues in Nova Scotia
Livestock
Beef Cattle
According to the Nova Scotia Cattlemen's Association, there are 1200 beef producers in the province. In 2005, the total cattle produced in NS was 108,500 head.
While the three systems most commonly used in Nova Scotia are:
- feedlot with total confinement
- pasture feeding with some grain supplementation
- pasture feeding only
Slaughterhouse requirements
Nova Scotia requires "all third party sales to be killed at inspected plants, while sales direct to the consumer can be slaughtered on the farm." This is unique from New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, where all beef is required to be slaughtered at a provincially inspected plant.
Each province only has one federally inspected plant, in which beef must be slaughtered if it is to be sold out of province. While the plants do not have organic certification, producers may get provincial plants to follow organic protocol, as needed, if the certifying body agrees.