- Until a few years ago, it was common for every village to have its slaughterhouse. In recent decades, these small slaughterhouses have disappeared in most places. Etxarri-Aranatz has been an exception, but in recent years they have detected the need to renew the space and expand the supply. “Despite being a treasure, the slaughterhouse had less and less activity and needed to innovate. To do so, and in 2018 we started a transformation process,” explains Nerea Viana Zugadi, head of the Sakana Development Agency. After these years of work, the new slaughterhouse and cutting area are already in place.
The process began about five years ago at the request of the Sakana farmers. “For the benefit of local food, the sector needed transformation infrastructures such as small workers, slaughterhouses and others.” In line with the demands of the farmers, the development agency was also working on strategies to boost the primary sector and saw the need to respond to the demand of the slaughterhouse. “Extensive livestock farming has a great weight in the Barranca, especially that related to sheep and minor livestock. And in this field there was a vacuum in meat production,” he says.
In fact, the slaughterhouse has been operating for all these years, but they were only slaughtering. “They could not fragment, embark, transform… I had few services and needed improvements.” In 2022, the Kalaska cooperative between farmers and local authorities was set up to take over the management of the slaughterhouse and the built collective cutting centre. “In November we started using the cutting room, for the moment we are working with partners as a test, transforming their calves and lambs,” explains the dynamizing of Miguel’s cooperative Leire Ganboa. As of February the service is opened, so the farmers in the region do not have to move to Pamplona to divide the meat.
The step towards sovereignty
At the moment, nine farmers of five productions are partners of the cooperative. Splitting operations are carried out by three slaughterhouse operators, but in the case of partners, the partners may carry out the division using the slaughterhouse infrastructure. “This allows for lower costs, but also control over the whole process, greater sovereignty,” Viana explains. Starting in February, the "triperia" or cleaning room will also be launched. “It will be a cleaning point for legs and guts because it is a product still valued here,” adds Ganboa.
The core of Etxarri-Aranatz and the Kalaska cooperative are important projects to promote Sakana's extensive and small farmers. It also seeks to facilitate the transition to new generations. “We want it to be a project to transform the Kalaska valley beyond the transformation infrastructure to live and work in the ravine. Local, which enhances extensive livestock and small human farms”.