The closure of a meat processing plant in Mora, which took a big bite out of profit margins of northern New Mexico ranchers who found themselves transporting livestock hundreds of miles for slaughter, has led to an innovative solution.

The Taos County Economic Development Corp. obtained $200,000 from a state legislative appropriation to establish a mobile "matanza" unit that takes the processing plant to the livestock producer's corral and slaughters their market animals on site.

Matanza is a Spanish word for the act of slaughtering and butchering a farmer's livestock.

The mobile unit was introduced by the Northern New Mexico Outreach Project, part of New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service program. It is based at the Sustainable Agriculture Science Center at Alcalde.

The matanza unit is a self-contained butchering unit in a 36-foot semi-trailer, which is divided into the butchering room, refrigerated storage area and mechanical room where the generator, air compressor, hot water and sterilizing fluids are stored. The unit is able to transport 10 to 12 cows, 20 hogs or 30 to 35 sheep.

Typically a staff of two butchers can slaughter five to 24 animals per day, depending on the type and size of the animal.

For more information about the mobile matanza, visit www.tcedc.org for a brochure or call the Taos County Economic Development Corp. at (505) 758-8731.