“Game Meat Industry Launches in Tarn-et-Garonne: Local, Organic, and Controlled for Health”

While most of the big game, roe deer, wild boar and deer, hunted in the Tarn-et-Garonne go to be rendered, the hunting federation of this department now wishes to promote them. This new organic and local meat sector would also be controlled in terms of health.

Hunters from Tarn-et-Garonne are launching their game meat industry. So far the flesh of big game: deer, roe deer and wild boar was left either for rendering or for personal consumption. More than 6,000 hunters are concerned in this department.

The carcasses of animals slaughtered during hunts most often end up with families or friends of hunters who make pâtés or sausages. A tradition that today needs to be dusted off. For the President of the Tarn-et-garonne hunting federationthis sector needs to be structured.

We have always had the habit of cooking part of the game or giving it away. But today, more security is needed in terms of food. All of this has to be controlled.

Thierry Cabanes, president of the Tarn-et-Garonne hunting federation

The animals will therefore be collected, then transported by refrigerated truck to the slaughterhouse in Montauban. They will be controlled by veterinarians from the Departmental Directorate of Veterinary Services, the DDCSPP. This is where the carcasses can be cut up and vacuum packed.

50 additional collection centers

So that each hunting association in the department can have a collection point nearby, 50 new centers will be created. These are simple hunting cabins that will serve as pick-up points for refrigerated trucks. There are already about fifteen.

This project represents a budget of 1 million euros over 3 years. It will be financed by the regional council, the departmental council and the hunters.

Organic and local meat

For the hunters of the 195 ACCAs of the Tarn-et-Garonne, the approved communal hunting associations, it will also be the possibility of highlighting organic and local meat.

It will also, I hope, be a way of starting a dialogue with people who don’t know hunting.

Thierry Cabanes, president of the Tarn-et-garonne hunting federation

Hunters will be free to sell, give away or keep processed meat for personal consumption. This new sector should be operational in the spring of 2024.