July 23, 2010

Ontario pork plant gets expansion funding

The Canadian government has announced a CAD2-million (US$1.92-million) provincial grant to help an Ontario pork processing plant increase production, expand its markets and create as many as 160 new jobs.

The funding will go toward new equipment, increased refrigeration capacity and specialised training for employees at the Michell plant of Great Lakes Specialty Meats in Ontario, according to Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Carol Mitchell.

Production at the plant will eventually triple, from 5,000 to 15,000 hogs per week.

Increasing local employment and enhancing the ability to process local products in Perth County makes it an excellent investment, she added.

The grant will help keep that local industry strong, highlighting the importance of processing locally produced hogs close to home.

David Schwartz, president of Quality Meat Packers and Great Lakes Specialty Meats (Quality Meat Packers, purchased the Great Lakes Specialty Meats business last fall), said the CAD2 million in provincial funds, which will be matched by Quality Meat Packers, will allow the company to diversify its product line and expand both its domestic and international markets.

The funding for upgrades to the Mitchell plant, as well as to a Quality Meat Packers facility in Toronto, represent a step forward for a hog industry that has had its share of challenges in the past few years, said Schwartz.

"We still have a long way to go as an industry, but I think the steps we're taking here to focus on making the plant more efficient and becoming more cost-competitive will definitely allow us to take advantage of new opportunities down the road," he said.

The CAD2-million provincial grant is part of the province's Rural Economic Development (RED) programme.