(Provided for further information - Referenced in today’s news broadcast)
The governments of Canada and Ontario are helping the province's beef sector grow and develop new markets by investing up to $2 million in projects that enhance operations at provincially licensed abattoirs.
Through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership), the governments are providing cost-share funding to provincially licensed abattoirs for a variety of projects to improve food safety, animal welfare and biosecurity measures at their operations. Examples of eligible projects include: capital upgrades for enhanced food safety, improvements in the safe handling and housing of animals, and new equipment for safe and efficient animal-hides disposal.
The governments are also investing up to $292,600 under the Places to Grow initiative to help the Beef Farmers of Ontario with marketing efforts to access emerging markets in Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines and the European Union. The cost-shared project will encourage export-market diversification and support efforts to increase volume and sales through trade missions, promotional events and the development of new brands.
"These investments will help the beef industry continue to meet the growing consumer demand for our safe, high-quality beef products," said the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. "With these business improvements to Ontario's provincially-licenced abattoirs, along with our efforts to diversify into new markets, we are ensuring our sector is competitive at home and around the world."
"By making these investments, our government will strengthen and grow provincially licensed abattoirs while further improving on our already high food safety standards," said the Honourable Ernie Hardeman, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. "We're also working with the province's beef industry in seeking out new markets, which will help secure future economic growth opportunities for Ontario's beef farmers. Looking to diversify and build new markets is an important step to ensure the success of the industry."
"Meat & Poultry Ontario would like to thank both the federal and provincial governments for their continued support of the 123 provincially inspected abattoir family businesses," said Carol Goriup, president of Meat & Poultry Ontario. "Today's announcement of funding couldn't have come at a better time. Abattoirs are the lynchpin of our local food system, and this critical investment will enable improved efficiencies and expanded capacities, ultimately helping farmers grow."
"Beef Farmers of Ontario welcomes the announcement of Canadian Agricultural Partnership funding for provincial abattoirs, which are an integral part of Ontario's beef industry," said Joe Hill, president of Beef Farmers of Ontario. "This funding comes at a time of critical challenges in the beef industry due to shortages in beef processing capacity. Support for abattoirs will help enable investment in equipment and infrastructure that assists businesses in remaining competitive and adapting to market-driven demands."
Since June 2018, both the federal and provincial governments have committed cost-share support to approximately 2,500 projects through the Partnership, to help eligible Ontario farmers, processors, businesses and sector organizations innovate and grow.
