CANADA – North American dairy cooperative, Agropur, has announced an investment of $34 million (US$ 26.16million) for its ice cream and frozen novelties plant in Truro, Nova Scotia.
The investment will be used “to redefine the space within the plant and also support the development of several business opportunities in the growing market.”
With this investment, the Truro installation will be one of Agropur’s Centers of Excellence for extrusion-type frozen products.
According to the company, the investment also demonstrates Agropur’s ambition to solidify its presence and pursue further business development in the Atlantic region.
The investment is also dedicated to seizing strategic business opportunities and strengthening the production of a fast-growing product in the food sector.
In addition to better defining the space in the plant, the investment will allow the creation of a new extrusion line for value-added innovation in the premium novelties segment.
Other business opportunities are expected to be developed with this addition and the expertise of the Truro plant team.
Robert Bowman, the manager of the Truro Agropur plant added that the expansion at the plant should be completed sometime in 2023 and the renovations are expected to provide economic spinoffs in the Truro area.
Agropur is a major player in the North American dairy industry with $7.3 billion in sales in 2021 and has employed 7,500 people at 31 plants across North America.
The dairy company pointed out that it is eligible for approximately $4 million (US$ 3.08 million) in funding from the provincial government through Nova Scotia’s capital investment tax credit.
Quality Cheese receives US$ 1.5M grant from the Government of Canada
At the same time, Quality Cheese, a manufacturer, distributor, and retailer of Italian specialty cheese and cheese snack products has received an investment of up to $ 2 million (US$ 1.54 million) from the Government of Canada.
The investment will enable the company to meet growing consumer demand for its products with the introduction of new production lines, cheese cutting, conditioning, ripening equipment, and packaging and storage hardware, a government official said.
The Honorable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food added: “The Government of Canada is proud to support the modernization and competitiveness of the dairy processing industry.
This investment is helping Quality Cheese combine traditional cheesemaking methods with innovation, modernizing their operations and increasing their efficiency to meet growing consumer demand for their high-quality products.”
The funding is part of the $100-million (US$76.94million) 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).
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