Farmgate and Farmgate Plus licences

• Farmgate Licences are an entry-level licence intended for low volume producers interested in slaughtering their own animals on farm.
• Allow annual production of up to 5 animal units (5,000 lbs or 2268 kg, live weight).
• Available province-wide. 
• Farmgate licence holders can sell meat products at the farm, at farmers markets within their regional district, and at farmers markets within 50 km of their farm (including in another regional district).
• Meat products are for end-user purchase and cannot be resold. 

• Most former Class D and E slaughter establishment licences have been transitioned to Farmgate Plus licences.
• Farmgate Plus Licences are intended for small producers interested in slaughtering their own animals or providing limited custom slaughter for neighbouring producers.
• Allow annual production of up to 25 animal units (25,000 lbs or 11,350 kg live weight).
• Available province-wide. 
• Farmgate Plus licence holders can sell meat products direct to consumers, retail, restaurants, and at farmers markets province-wide.  

Please visit our Farmgate and Farmgate Plus licences FAQ if you have any questions regarding these licences.

• For traceability purposes, meat products from Farmgate and Farmgate Plus facilities must be labelled with: 
  • the name and address of the slaughter establishment; 
  • a description of the contents of the package; 
  • the net weight or volume of the contents of the package, and 
  • Premises ID of the farm where the meat was slaughtered. 
• Farmgate product labels must also include “Not Government Inspected; For sale only in the regional district of [name of regional district in which the farmgate slaughter establishment is located], or at a temporary food market within 50 km of the slaughter establishment. Not for resale”. 
• Farmgate Plus product labels must also include “Not Government Inspected”.
• Meat derived from animals other than those raised by the licence holder (custom slaughter) at a Farmgate Plus facility may be sold under the producer’s brand or farm name, provided the labelling requirements above are met.
• For examples of Farmgate and Farmgate Plus labels, please see the Code of Practice for Farmgate and Farmgate Plus Establishments – Appendix 4 (PDF 522 KB)

• All meat processing, cut-and-wrap, and sales activities require a Food Premises Permit obtained from a regional health authority.
• Regional health authorities oversee the issuance of Food Premises Permits under the Food Premises Regulation of the  Food Safety Act.

• All new applications must include confirmation that SlaughterRight training has been successfully completed. Applicants must review the SlaughterRight webpage for instructions on how to request access to the course.
• Applicants must have a registered Premises ID in order to request access to the course.
• When applying for a licence, you must submit your Food Safety Plan (FSP), which includes the following documents from the SlaughterRight course, to FrontCounter BC as part of your application package:
  • Standard Operation Procedures (SOP);
  • Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP);
  • Humane Slaughter Plan (HSP) specific to your operation;
  • SlaughterRight Online Certificate ID number(s) in the name of the intended licence holder(s).

1. Register for a Premises ID
2. Complete SlaughterRight Training
3. Review the Code of Practice for Farmgate and Farmgate Plus Licences (PDF 625 KB) to ensure your facility meets Ministry requirements.
4. Using the Farmgate and Farmgate Plus Application Package Checklist (PDF, 149 KB), ensure the required documents are included before submitting an application package:
   • Farmgate and Farmgate Plus Application Form and Feasibility Study (PDF, 278 KB)
     • Farmgate Plus applicants must consult with any licensed abattoirs within 100 km of their proposed facility. 
        
       Applicants must also obtain written confirmation from the applicable local government that the property where the proposed abattoir will be sited is zoned for this activity. 
        
       If the property is in the Agricultural Land Reserve and if 50% or more of the animals proposed to be slaughtered are raised/grown on the property where the abattoir is located, this farm use (abattoir) cannot be prohibited by local government on the basis of the farm use alone.
        
       If the property is in the Agricultural Land Reserve and if less than 50% of the animals proposed to be slaughtered are raised/grown on the property where the abattoir is located, approval from the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) through a non-farm use application is necessary. Please contact the ALC for more information at ALCBurnaby@Victoria1.gov.bc.ca.
   • Confirmation from a PHO approved laboratory that water to be used during slaughter is potable.
   • Completed SlaughterRight workbook.
5. Contact FrontCounterBC to submit the application package.
6. A Meat Inspection Program staff member will contact applicants to review the SlaughterRight workbook and food safety plan, and to schedule a site assessment visit.
7. Following a successful site assessment, a slaughter licence may be issued.

Find resources and review the other organizations involved in meat production in BC.