REHOBOTH - Local farmers have an unusual problem.

Many of them are increasing their stock of beef cattle, but have no government-inspected slaughterhouse in the area to prepare the cows for market.

They said that they are forced to either sell cows whole or pay high transportation costs to have them slaughtered at out-of-state facilities.

To address the problem, state Rep. Steve D'Amico, D-Seekonk, brought state Agricultural Commissioner Doug Petersen to Rehoboth Thursday to hear the farmers' concerns and tour local farms.

Petersen said he hears about the slaughterhouse shortage throughout the state and his department is helping to finance new facilities. He said the department has about $1 million available to help fund facilities and recently granted $600,000 to modernize a slaughterhouse. The department also financed a mobile poultry slaughterhouse.

Petersen said the issue is an important one to the state economy because Massachusetts leads the nation is selling food directly from the farm to the consumer, mostly through farmers' markets and roadside vegetable stands.

"There is a real demand for grass-fed beef," he said.

Consumers consider locally produced food safer and fresher, he said.

The farmers at the meeting said that if they could have their beef slaughtered locally, they could make more money and provide the freshest meat to restaurants and consumers.

Without a facility, the farmers have to sell cows whole, and that is less profitable.

"It's very though to make money on beef," said Rachel Smith, a member of the Rehoboth Agricultural Commission.

"We'd be happy if we could get a slaughterhouse," said Walt Munroe, a local farmer.

The farmers said there is a local person interested in building a slaughterhouse in the Rehoboth area, but he is having trouble finding affordable land.

They said a slaughterhouse needs a large lot with a considerable buffer zone because of the odors. Petersen said the purchase of land is something the department could possibly help with.