The governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing nearly $2.4 million over 2 years through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) Capital Infrastructure and Investments program to support a $52.8-million capital project at Winkler Meats, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson announced today.
The Manitoba government has approved over $7.8 million in loan financing and tax rebates, in addition to the Sustainable CAP contribution.
Government funding will go toward new harvesting and processing equipment and a high-capacity packaging line. The expansion is a joint venture between Winkler Meats and Johnsonville Sausage, which sources some of its live sow supply from Western Canada.
The Ministers noted the project will:
- increase the volume of harvesting and processing, which will advance value-added opportunities within Manitoba
- more than double the number of jobs at the facility, to a total of 155 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions
- enhance the resiliency and benefits of the existing supply chain
- divert millions of kilograms of live animals from export to the United States, which will reduce the number of trucks transporting live animals and associated freight-related greenhouse gases
- expand the company's contribution to Manitoba's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 5 times, to $23 million per year
The project aligns with the Manitoba Protein Advantage Strategy, which aims to attract $1.5 billion in investments and create 1,550 new jobs in the animal and plant protein sector by 2025, noted Johnson, adding that it will also enhance benefits for producers and processors through value chain collaboration.
The expansion work is being undertaken in consultation with Efficiency Manitoba, which has identified opportunities for energy savings on the design and construction of the building in order to help be more environmentally friendly and contribute to economic competitiveness with lower energy costs for the company.
This project also aligns with the Opportunities for Economic Growth Action Plan, a comprehensive set of tangible, focused and strategic actions that the Manitoba government is advancing in partnership with stakeholders and the private sector to create a stronger economic future for Manitobans, Johnson said.
