CBCo Alliance facility in Quebec plans to grow capacity to 20,000 hogs per week
Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau, and parliament member Peter Schiefke highlighted an investment of up to CA$5 million that is helping CBCo Alliance increase capacity at its new hog processing facility in Les Cèdres, Quebec.
This investment, made through the Emergency Processing Fund, supported infrastructure upgrades and the purchase and installation of advanced processing equipment to increase productivity and boost production capacity. According to the company’s projection, it will have the capacity to process up to 20,000 hogs per week by 2024.
The new facility began operations in November 2020 and is expected to create a total of 250 jobs in Vaudreuil–Soulanges once it is running at full capacity. This project supports the sustainability of Canada’s domestic food supply and increases hog processing capacity in Quebec, both now and in the future.
“We are very pleased to participate in the development of pork slaughter and processing in Quebec. We are proud to be Canadian pork producers and we want the best for this industry. This plant is the future of our organizations,” said Mario Côté, Jocelyn Bertrand and Janin Boucher, co-owners of the CBCo Alliance.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant challenges for Canada’s meat processing sector, and has shown the need for more diversified processing capacity. That is why the Government of Canada responded with targeted investments to help meat processors invest in safety measures to protect their workers and in facility improvements to ensure a strong food supply for Canadians, said Bibeau.
“This is a significant development for the local economy near Vaudreuil, and a big help to the processing capacity challenges we have experienced over the past number of years. With this investment, CBCo Alliance is setting up a state-of-the-art facility to increase hog processing capacity here in Quebec, which helps our producers continue to deliver quality pork products to our grocery shelves. This project not only responds to challenges brought on by COVID-19, but also positions the industry for a stronger future,” she said.
“The Quebec pork industry is an important contributor to our economy. While COVID-19 caused many challenges for the meat processing industry both here and across the country, the sector continued to step up,” added Schiefke. “Through this funding, the Government of Canada supported equipment upgrades to help this local business increase capacity throughout the pandemic. And it’s an investment that will boost the competitiveness and strengthen the resilience of our food supply for the future.”
