Canada’s only remaining federally-inspected beef plant east of Toronto will continue to get cash infusions from its host province.
The Prince Edward Island government, in its latest budget, pledged “continued investment” in the Atlantic Beef Products plant at Albany, about 20 km southeast of Summerside, with $1.5 million budgeted for 2013.
That’s the maximum allowed under a cap the province imposed last year on its annual support for the plant.
However, the province announced March 27, its continued investment in the plant “will be supported by the launch of a new certified Prince Edward Island beef brand.”
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A provincial spokesperson said there are “no specific dollars” for the beef brand initiative in the budget, but it’s expected that programs under the federal/provincial Growing Forward 2 ag policy funding framework “will offer assistance for this type of project.”
The beef brand project will be over and above the province’s PEI Burger Love campaign, which runs this year from April 2 to 30 with participating restaurants — 31 this year, up from 22 in 2012 — competing for the title of the province’s Most Loved Burger, using Island-produced beef.
PEI Burger Love, now in its third year, is backed by the province’s ag department and provincial cattle producers’, potato growers’ and restaurant operators’ associations, among others. The 2012 campaign sold 16,150 burgers, containing over 7,850 pounds of beef, over the month.
“We even have one franchise restaurant chain that has added Island beef to its menu for the month just so they could participate in PEI Burger Love,” Melody Dover of Fresh Media, which created the campaign, said in a provincial release.
“From the start, one of our goals was to encourage restaurants to buy Island beef, and this proves that it is possible.”
Along with the federally inspected Atlantic Beef plant, P.E.I. also hosts a number of provincial-level abattoirs and direct beef marketers.
Atlantic Beef, incorporated in 2003 and built in partnership with local producers in 2005, sources beef from P.E.I. as well as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
The plant booked losses each year from its outset, even following a 2007 deal for a cash infusion from the federal, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I. governments.
As the plant’s co-owner, the P.E.I. government noted last spring it had put a total of over $40 million in capital and operating subsidies into the plant since 2005.
Related story:
P.E.I. sees ‘improved results’ at Atlantic Beef, Sept. 8, 2012
