TORONTO, ONTARIO — The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing more than $13 million to support free-standing meat processors in the province to make upgrades.
The cost-shared funding, provided through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), will support 151 projects.
“There is a growing demand for the high-quality products we produce and process across Canada,” said Lawrence MacAulay, Canada’s minister of agriculture and agri-food. “This funding through Sustainable CAP will help the meat processing industry in Ontario access new technologies and equipment to increase production and meet that demand.”
Types of projects receiving aid include upgrading meat handling and processing equipment, technologies and practices that improve production capacity and enhance competitiveness. The Meat Processors Capacity Improvement Initiative also covers training and engineering costs associated with completing the projects.
Specific examples include:
- Up to $140,112 to Penokean Hills Farms in Bruce Mines to purchase and install a chop cutter and thermoforming packaging machine to increase production.
- Up to $150,000 to Sikorski Sausages in London to purchase and install a floor standing clipper, air compressor and refrigerated air dryer, a split chiller system, racking systems, high-capacity coils for variable speed fans and evaporator fan coils to increase capacity and labor productivity.
- Up to $19,461.60 to Townsend Butchers in Simcoe to purchase and install a new vacuum sealing machine to increase productivity and meet market demand.
Applications for the Meat Processors Capacity Improvement Initiative were open between Aug. 31, 2023, and Sept. 25, 2023. All projects are expected to be completed with equipment delivered by March 1, 2024.
The funding builds on previous investments of over $14 million in the Meat Processors Capacity Improvement Initiative since 2020.
In Ontario, there are around 480 provincially licensed and 239 federally licensed meat processing facilities.
