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Government of Canada supports a strong and innovative Canadian pork industry


May 10, 2019  by Manure Manager magazine


Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and Raj Saini, Member of Parliament (Kitchener Centre), recently announced a repayable contribution of up to $10 million to Conestoga Meats under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, AgriInnovate program while visiting the facility today in southwestern Ontario. This funding will increase the Canadian pork industry’s productivity, helping the sector to meet growing domestic and global demands for their high-quality, sustainable products.

The investment will help the company upgrade its facilities and install a state-of-the art cooling system. This unique, custom built system will allow for more controlled temperature reduction. The technology will also reduce processing time and improve product shelf life for fresh pork. These improvements will help increase production and significantly expand export opportunities in Japan and across Asia. Exporting to these areas requires advance capabilities to improve shelf life for chilled pork.

“Our government is proud to be working with the Canadian pork industry to build a stronger, more innovative sector. This investment will help the pork sector increase its productivity and capacity to meet growing consumer demand, as well as improve on-farm safety, while fostering continued economic growth and create jobs for our middle-class,” said Minister Bibeau.

Conestoga Meats is a southwestern Ontario pork processing facility that produces, processes and packages fresh, chilled and frozen pork products. Conestoga Meats is well established in both domestic and international markets, with $450 million in sales for 2017. Conestoga Meats is the second largest pork processor in Ontario and Canada’s fifth largest pork packer.

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