Montana Co-op to Open Meat Processing Facility

A producer-owned meat processing facility is set to open in north-central Montana this fall.

The Prairie Star reports USDA-inspected Montana Premium Processing Cooperative (MPPC) will initially process 3,000 to 3,500 head of cattle, sheep, hogs and bison a year in Havre, Mont. Owned by Montana member ranchers, the co-op purchased a building and a $300,000 semi-trailer that was modified to be a kill floor and is parked inside the renovated building.

MPPC is the result of local ranchers working to capture more value and retail their own beef, according to Matt Rains, chief of staff for Montana Farmers Union and a fifth-generation rancher from Simms, Mont.

“Essentially, producers leave $1,500-$2,000 on the table for every steer they sell to the large out-of-state meat processing facilities. Montana producers are at a stage where they want to be retailing their own beef and that is a value-added concept,” Rains told the Prairie Star, pointing out that these large meat processors are making more than a fair price for processing a steer.

The co-op is also partnering with Montana State University-Northern in Havre to train students in the meat business.