Minister MacAulay Unveils $89 Million Investment to Boost Dairy, Poultry, and Egg Processors Across Canada
Source: The DairyNews
Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, has announced a significant investment of up to $89 million to support 49 projects throughout Canada under the Supply Management Processing Investment Fund.
This fund plays a vital role in the government's commitment to aiding processors in supply-managed sectors, addressing the impacts of recent international trade agreements.
The funding will empower dairy, poultry, and egg processors to acquire and install advanced automated equipment and technology. This initiative aims to enhance production capacity and productivity, enabling processors to navigate environmental challenges and labor shortages effectively. Examples of projects include milk pasteurizers, ultrafiltration systems, robotics for packaging systems, and new machinery for grading, setting, and breaking eggs.
The announcement, made at Lactalis Canada's cheese plant in Ingleside, Ontario, revealed that the facility is set to receive up to $3,343,000 for new automated cheese processing and packaging equipment. These upgrades will modernize production, reduce waste, and improve overall productivity.
Minister MacAulay emphasized the government's commitment to preserving Canada's supply management system, which serves as the backbone for rural communities and supports numerous family farms. This system ensures fair returns for producers, stability for processors, and a consistent supply of high-quality products for consumers.
Quick Facts:
The funding will empower dairy, poultry, and egg processors to acquire and install advanced automated equipment and technology. This initiative aims to enhance production capacity and productivity, enabling processors to navigate environmental challenges and labor shortages effectively. Examples of projects include milk pasteurizers, ultrafiltration systems, robotics for packaging systems, and new machinery for grading, setting, and breaking eggs.
The announcement, made at Lactalis Canada's cheese plant in Ingleside, Ontario, revealed that the facility is set to receive up to $3,343,000 for new automated cheese processing and packaging equipment. These upgrades will modernize production, reduce waste, and improve overall productivity.
Minister MacAulay emphasized the government's commitment to preserving Canada's supply management system, which serves as the backbone for rural communities and supports numerous family farms. This system ensures fair returns for producers, stability for processors, and a consistent supply of high-quality products for consumers.
Quick Facts:
- The supply-managed sectors contributed nearly $14 billion in farm-gate sales in 2022 and generated around 100,000 direct jobs in production and processing activities.
- In 2022, dairy and poultry processing activities alone contributed $27 billion to Canada’s manufacturing shipments, representing 17% of the total manufactured shipments of food and beverages in the country.
- Launched in 2022, the Supply Management Processing Investment Fund is a six-year, $397.5-million program designed to help processors of supply-managed commodities adapt to market changes resulting from trade agreements.
- The application intake for funding under the Supply Management Processing Investment Fund is open, providing non-repayable contributions supporting up to 50% of eligible project costs for small- and medium-sized enterprises and up to 25% for large organizations with 500 employees or more.
