(Photo provided by Craig Shaw).
$300,000 in funding is being provided to two local meat processing plants in Grey County to support their projects.
Announced by Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker, $150,000 will go to Exceldor Foods Limited in Hanover for the implementation of an automatic weighing and conveying system and to West Grey Premium Beef Inc. in Durham to purchase a new meat slicer.
“The Canadian Agricultural Partnership program provided by the Ontario Government offered funding that motivated Exceldor to install automation that met a new customer demand while generating improved efficiencies,” says Exceldor Foods Limited General Manager Craig Shaw. “Due to the growing challenges we are experiencing with labour force availability, automation is a critical part of enabling growth and ensuring sustainability. We are grateful to the province for understanding these needs and creating a financial platform to motivate Ontario’s agricultural industry to continue to put safe food on tables in a cost effective manner.”
This funding comes a part of the provincial and federal governments’ investment of over $7 million to increase the production and efficiency in meat processing plants across Ontario.
According to the release, 77 projects are receiving cost-share funding to assist with purchasing or upgrading equipment to improve productions and safety measures in meat plants in Ontario.
Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Ernie Hardeman says, “Covid made it difficult for our farmers to find the processing capacity that they needed and these investments are part of our rapid response to help both our farmers and our processing industry to succeed in these challenging times.”
The release notes that due to a high demand for the program, an additional $3.2 million was tacked onto the original $4 million allocation to fund the eligible applications that were received.