Teeswater, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, visited Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Ltd. (Gay Lea Foods) to announce an investment of up to $16.9 million through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) and through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Dairy Processing Investment Fund (DPIF). With this funding, Gay Lea Foods is expanding its Teeswater, Ontario facility with modern equipment to improve productivity and competitiveness.
FedDev Ontario’s investment of $10 million will support the acquisition and installation of advanced processing equipment and systems. This will allow Gay Lea Foods to advance its scientific and technical capability to produce new, high value milk products, particularly for the health food and nutraceutical markets. This investment will accelerate growth by supporting product and market diversification, and increase production to capitalize on market expansion opportunities.
Funding of $6.9 million through the DPIF will allow Gay Lea Foods to adopt innovative processes and equipment to minimize by-product waste and reduce the plant’s environmental footprint. The project will also provide additional capacity, and as such the co-operative will use more high-quality milk from Ontario’s dairy farmers in the making of their value-added products.
The combined investment will create approximately 13 new skilled jobs and help to maintain 50 at the Teeswater facility.
This project aligns with the Government of Canada’s recently announced Rural Economic Development Strategy, plan for stronger collaboration and long-term strategic investments to respond to the unique needs of rural communities.
Source : Government Of Canada