November 22, 2007

Maple Leaf's hog plant hits initial targets

Maple Leaf's implementation of a second shift in its pork plant at Brandon, Manitoba was successful as the target to process 75,000 hogs per week by November was met.

In September, Maple Leaf started a second front-end shift at its existing state-of-the-art processing plant in Brandon as part of the company's restructuring plans.

The consolidation of Maple Leaf's pork processing began in June, when its Mitchell's Gourmet Foods plant at Saskatoon closed.

In October, another processing plant was closed in Winnipeg. The combined processing capacity of the plants was 30,000 to 37,000 hogs per week.

Jeanette Jones, director of communications for Maple Leaf Foods, said the introduction of the second shift has gone really well, as targets were all achieved.

The plant is producing 15,000 hogs per day or 75,000 hogs per week.