Government of Canada invests in a Quebec cheese factory
The investment will reduce losses, increase productivity
27 July 2022
2 minute read
Canada's minister of agriculture Marie-Claude Bibeau announced that Agrilait S.E.C. in Saint-Guillaume, Quebec, will receive up to $859,833 through the Dairy Processing Investment Fund. This investment will help the company increase cheese production at Fromagerie St-Guillaume, reduce its production costs and, ultimately, strengthen food security.
In a press release, the government said its investment will help install automated equipment, including an ultrafiltration system and milk separation system. This equipment will allow Fromagerie St-Guillaume to recover by-products of the cheese-making process and incorporate them into different products, which will reduce losses and increase productivity. The funding is expected to ensure that the plant's processing capacity increases by 35% a year.
Agrilait S.E.C., a joint venture between Agiska Cooperative and milk producers, owns two cheese factories and transforms over 40 million litres of milk per year into about 20 different cheeses for domestic markets.
"With the money provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, we were able to buy state-of-the-art equipment that will increase our capacity to process milk from farms and will enable us to develop a new line of products," said Jean Brodeur, general manager of Agrilait S.E.C. "These investments will secure our company's future development and generate significant economic benefits for our region."
The $100-million Dairy Processing Investment Fund was created to help Canadian dairy processors modernize their businesses and improve their productivity and competitiveness. The fund has supported dairy processors in adapting to market changes resulting from the implementation of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
Dairy producers and processors generate $24 billion in sales annually, including $8 billion in Quebec.
"Our cheese factories are often a part of their region's identity and generate a feeling of great pride," said Bibeau. "By processing milk from local producers, they are contributing to their community's food self-sufficiency and vitality. Our government will therefore continue to invest with them to make them more competitive and contribute to their sustainability."
