May 30, 2013

Canada's Sunnymel opens new US$50 million chicken slaughterhouse

Canada's Sunnymel has opened its new US$50 million chicken slaughterhouse in the Maritime province of New Brunswick.

At full capacity, the plant will process 12,000 chickens per hour, or some 450,000 birds per week. The facility gradually started operations late last fall and employs nearly 200 people.

Sunnymel says its plant uses "next generation equipment and manufacturing processes, and its production efficiency is unique in the food industry in New Brunswick." The facility sources birds from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and will supply the Maritimes market and other provinces.

The US$50 million investment resulted from the business partnership between Groupe Westco, one of Canada's largest poultry producers, and Quebec-based pork and poultry processor Olymel I.p.