GATINEAU, QC – While visiting La Trappe à Fromage de l’Outaouais, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, along with the Member of Parliament for Gatineau, the Honourable Steven MacKinnon, announced an investment of up to $1,548,800 for the company to increase production capacity and productivity.
This investment, under the Supply Management Processing Investment Fund, will help La Trappe à Fromage de l’Outaouais purchase and install automated equipment to enhance its cheese manufacturing and packaging processes. This expansion project is expected to increase processing capacity at the Gatineau plant. It will also support the company’s competitiveness and enable it to diversify its product offering.
The Supply Management Processing Investment Fund helps processors of supply-managed commodities increase their competitiveness and resilience in the face of evolving markets. The Fund is part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to support processors in these sectors to address the impacts of recent international trade agreements.
The Government of Canada will continue to preserve, protect, and defend Canada’s supply management system. The system supports the livelihood of producers by providing the opportunity to receive fair returns on their labour and investments, while consumers benefit from a steady supply of high-quality products.
Quotes
“Canada’s supply management system contributes to the viability of family farms and is the backbone of rural communities here in Quebec and across the country. The investment announced today for La Trappe à Fromage de l’Outaouais will allow them to process more milk from local producers so they continue to make cheeses that are the pride of the region.”
– The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
“La Trappe à Fromage has developed an incomparable expertise in the Outaouais region. With its cheeses made with 100% local milk, it contributes to food autonomy and the vitality of the region. This investment demonstrates our willingness to continue to invest in our cheese factories in order to improve their competitiveness and contribute to their sustainability.”
– The Honourable Steven MacKinnon, Member of Parliament for Gatineau
“We are proud of the 16,000 square foot expansion of our new plant. Our dream, which has been in progress for 28 years now, is possible thanks to the quality of our products, the confidence and loyalty of our customers, the commitment of our teams and the financial support of several partners, including the federal government.”
– Gilles Joanisse, Co-founder, La Trappe à Fromage de l’Outaouais
Quick Facts
- The dairy sector plays a vital role in Canada’s economy, contributing $25.6 billion annually through sales by producers and processors, including $9.1 billion in Quebec.
- Founded in 1995, Gatineau-based La Trappe à Fromage specializes in artisanal cheesemaking, including fresh cheese curds, fresh and aged cheddar, and other specialty cheeses.
- The Supply Management Processing Investment Fund helps processors of supply-managed commodities adapt to market changes resulting from the implementation of recent international trade deals.
- The Government of Canada has delivered on its commitment to fully and fairly compensate producers and processors who have lost market share under the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). The total compensation will reach up to $4.8 billion.
- Budget 2023 announced up to $333 million over 10 years for a new program to support investments in research, product and market development, and processing capacity for solids non-fat (SNF)-based products. The program is under development and will be launched as soon as possible.
