Quebec meat processing firm Les Viandes Laroche has picked up federal and provincial funds to support a planned expansion worth over $10 million.
The federal government on Thursday announced repayable funding of $900,000 from its Business and Regional Growth program and its Community Adjustment Fund for Laroche, while the province announced two separate grants of $450,000 and $50,000 from its economic development and ag ministries respectively.
Laroche, based at Asbestos, Que., about 60 km north of Sherbrooke, processes and markets beef, pork, poultry, veal and deli meats, including its Viandes Selectionnees des Cantons (VSC) brand of certified hormone- and antibiotic-free beef.
Read Also
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures come down from highs
Cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange were weaker on Monday, coming down from recent highs.
The company is considered a “pioneer” in Canada for its integrated traceability system, which allows it to guarantee the origin and quality of its meats, the federal government said.
Laroche has been in expansion mode and now plans to build a larger facility in Asbestos consolidating its slaughter, processing and storage operations.
The project “promises not only to help the enterprise improve its productivity, but also to create 30 full-time jobs in the community,” federal Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis said in a release Thursday.
The expansion is expected to create 30 new jobs over two years over and above the company’s current staff of 57, the province said in a separate release.
The expansion is also expected to enhance the company’s processing capabilities for VSC products, the province said.
The federal Community Adjustment Fund is a two-year program to support development with a specific focus on single-industry communities.
To thrive, Paradis said Thursday, such communities “need to be able to ensure the development of diversified local economic activities.
“Asbestos is therefore fortunate to have Viandes Laroche, a competitive company active in a sector other than mining, operating within its territory.”
