REPENTIGNY, QC – Jean-Claude Poissant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, on behalf of the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced an investment of $747,542 in support of dairy processor La Fromagerie Champêtre Inc.
The investment, made through the Dairy Processing Investment Fund (DPIF), will help to produce new specialty cheeses and improve its product quality and production capacity through the purchase of state of the art equipment and expansion of the plant. It is expected that the project will allow La Fromagerie Champêtre to increase its milk processing capacity and create six full-time jobs.
DPIF was designed to help the sector increase productivity and competitiveness, and help them prepare for market changes resulting from the Canada – European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The program provides non-repayable contributions to support projects through capital investment or access to expertise.
Quotes
“The dairy processing sector is a cornerstone of the Canadian economy and consumers across the country love its top quality products. Our government is committed to helping companies in this sector modernize their operations and remain competitive while creating good jobs for our middle class.”
– Jean-Claude Poissant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
“Thanks to this investment, Fromagerie Champêtre will acquire state-of-the-art equipment that will allow for better monitoring of production and more precise control over the quality and traceability of our products. This equipment will also allow us to produce more fine cheeses and distinguish ourselves in promising niches, thus pursuing our mission of being a leader in the dairy processing industry in Canada and improving our competitiveness in the face of the massive influx of European cheeses.”
– Kelly Shipway, Vice President, Agri-food Sales and Business Development, Nutrinor, on behalf of La Fromagerie Champêtre
Quick Facts
- Founded in 1996, La Fromagerie Champêtre Inc produces mainly cheddar and specialty cheese and employs around 60 people. It has been owned by the family for 20 years before joining Nutrinor Cooperative in 2017. Fromagerie Champêtre won various prizes for the quality of its cheeses, including Best Washed Rind Cheese at the 2018 Canadian Cheese Award.
- Nutrinor operates in four lines of business: agriculture, agrifood, energy, and hardware retailing. It is owned by its 1075 members and has a workforce of over 785.
- Canada has more than 478 dairy processors that generate $14.3 billion in sales and create over 42,000 jobs.
- The Dairy Processing Investment Fund, valued at $100 million, is designed to help dairy processors modernize their operations, improving productivity and competitiveness.
- Canada’s dairy sector is also supported by the associated Dairy Farm Investment Program. To date, 1,900 dairy projects have been approved for funding support valued at $129 million, in a wide array of projects from small investments in cow comfort equipment to large ones for automated milking systems.
