On February 5, 2026, the provincial government launched two new programs to help beef farmers in Westville and across Nova Scotia grow their businesses and process more meat locally. The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture has committed $1.5 million to support specialized farm equipment and upgrades to local abattoirs and meat processing facilities. Agriculture Minister Greg Morrow said the goal is to make local beef an affordable first choice for consumers.
Local businesses in the Pictou County area can apply to use the funding to improve their facilities, which should reduce the need to ship cattle out of the province for processing. By keeping more of the work within the community, the province says it aims to create a more stable local food supply. This support comes as producers across Nova Scotia — there are more than 360 licensed beef producers in the province — continue to face high costs from inflation and the impacts of drought in late 2025.
The new programs will be administered by Perennia Food and Agriculture Corp., a provincial development agency that works with farmers and processors. The funding is split into two streams: the Nova Scotia Beef Finishing Equipment Support Program, which helps producers buy equipment to finish cattle in‑province, and the Nova Scotia Local Beef Processing Program, which funds infrastructure and equipment upgrades at abattoirs and processing operations. The programs are intended to increase local processing capacity and help make the industry more self‑sufficient.
Industry groups including the Nova Scotia Cattle Producers have described continued support for processing capacity and on‑farm production as aligned with priorities around local food security and industry sustainability. Farmers and processors can apply through Perennia; the program intake deadline is April 30, 2026.
For more information and application details, see the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture news release (Feb. 5, 2026) and Perennia’s Nova Scotia Beef Initiative program pages.
