The Tasmanian red meat processing abattoirs so far listed in http://www.australianabattoirs.wordpress.com
Cooee abattoir (Tas) owned by Gee family. (Now closed)
Cressy abattoir (Tas) operated by Tasmania Quality Meats (TQM).
Cygnet abattoir (Tas) operated by James Lord.
Devonport abattoir (Tas) operated by JBS.
King Island abattoir (Tas) operated by JBS. (Now closed)
Longford abattoir (Tas) operated by JBS.
Smithton abattoir (Tas) operated by HW Greenham and Sons.
Closed 2012 due to fire. Family owned business.
Located on the North west coast of Tasmania
Small service kill abattoir that allowed local producers to enter small numbers of animals and follow their slaughter, cutting and packing of meat through whole process.
Currently operating. Better known as Tasmania Quality Meats (TQM)
Located south of Launceston.
Medium sized abattoir that processes now only sheep and lamb, Halal accredited and targeting export markets. This abattoir actively encourages producer participation for observation and learning to improve animal welfare and production characteristics. Has undergone extensive improvements in recent times to enable production expansion. Promotes and develops producer awareness of market requirements to enable communication and improvement in animal production and enabling better targeting of markets and thus returns to producers.
Cressy is increasingly developing export markets due to shrinkage of local markets because of giant supermarket undercutting. Is undertaking further infrastructure development to achieve higher export accreditations so as to process more of product at facility and overcome increasingly difficult cost burden of freight and double handing.
Currently operating and privately owned by James Lord.
Located south west of Hobart in southern Tasmania.
A small service kill abattoir that has recently changed hands in 2011. It performs a vital role in the local farming community to legally and affordably slaughter various species of animals from cattle to rabbits. Many producers utilise for only a few animals and their own meat consumption.
Cygnet is using branded meat logos for promotion of its product to domestic market and interstate sales. Selling direct to buyers in boxes of meat and at local markets, through contact on its website.
Currently operating. Owned by JBS – large Brazil based company which owns other abattoirs in Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. They also own feedlots and meat processing facilities in other states.
Located Northern coast of Tasmania
Devonport is a medium sized multi species processor taken over by JBS 2005, prior to that its past was a service kill abattoir which had environmental management problems with odour and effluent. Prior to 2005 the abattoir was operated in conjunction with a rendering plant that received product from other facilities to manufacture meat meal.
Closed 2012. Owned by JBS who also own Longford and Devonport. Large Brazil based company which owns other abattoirs in Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. They also own feedlots and meat processing facilities in other states.
King Island is located between Tasmania mainland in Bass Strait and Victoria (Mainland Australia)
King Island abattoir was purchased by JBS in 2008, it received a loan to upgrade the facilities but still closed soon after in 2012 citing high costs of freight, energy and blaming producers for sending stock to Tasmania for higher prices. Closure has severely affected locally producers, slashing at least $100 per head of animal value. King Island producers are now forced to send their livestock by barge to Tasmania or Victoria. Some freight subsidy assistance is applicable with sending live cattle to Tasmania. Other processing plants assisted with upgrade to wharf and facilities enabling better access to abattoir in Tasmania. King Island producers are considering building a smaller abattoir to process limited numbers and smaller stock. The original facilities of the abattoir are still owned by JBS who refuse to sell it.
Currently operating. Owned by JBS – large Brazil based company which owns other abattoirs in Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. They also own feedlots and meat processing facilities in other states
Longford is located south of Launceston. It is a multi-species abattoir processing beef and sheep. Accredited for export selling specifically to key Muslim markets, it also exports to China and Russia Longford places emphasis on directing meat product to branded sales instead of marketing meat as a commodity.
It has undergone recent major technologically advanced upgrades such as X-ray fat analysis to increase efficiency and optimise production by MSA increasing throughput of animals by 50%.
Longford was involved in controversy in 2009 when it locked out sheep skin processors and a lamb exporter who was forced to send lambs to Victoria to be processed. Employment fluctuations occurred as Tasmania was affected by a long drought ending 2009. In recent years the closure of King Island abattoir has assisted the supply of livestock to Longford.
Currently operating. Owned by Greenham’s who also own an abattoir at Tongala (Victoria)
Smithton is located on the north west coast of Tasmania
Smithton was taken over by Blue Ribbon late 70’s but collapsed due to insolvency in 2001. Lack of investment in infrastructure was cited as the problems. Greenham’s purchased the facility in 2002 have invested substantially to refurbish the plant to meet export standards and develop export markets so as to increase potential for trade. Major upgrades have occurred a number of times with some government assistance. Smithton markets its own meat brands consistent with MSA criteria.
Smithton major markets export which accounts for up to 95% of its production. Destinations of sales are US and Japan under various prime meat brand names.
Efficiency and costs of labour are continuing points of contention between union and management with protracted disputes occurring in 2003 and 2013. Smithton has nearly twice efficiency of processing per worker at its facility but claim with increasing wages cost the company would find viability difficult in 4 years time.
Gretna Meatworks 1261 Blackhills Rd Gretna operated by Michael Munnings