Olymel’s announcement of the closure of its Vallée-Jonction, QC plant is tough news for the industry, the Canadian Pork Council (CPC) said in a release on Tuesday.
“The reasons the company stated - the pandemic, an ongoing labor shortage, inflationary pressures and challenges with accessing foreign markets – have impacted the entire industry,” Rene Roy, chair of the council, said in a release. “We know food security is an ongoing question for governments across Canada, and food security starts with producers being able to compete and have buyers for their products.”
Roy added this is tough news to hear, but CPC will work with governments and partners to find long-term solutions.
The closure will impact Quebec, Atlantic Canada and other parts of the country. CPC said a national solution is required. The pork industry is a $7-billion industry in Canada, with almost $5 billion in exports.
“There are international markets for our products, and Canadian pork producers are cost-competitive globally,” Roy said in a release. “We need our trade agreements to work for us, we need our agricultural policies to work for us, and we need to work together as an industry to find long-term solutions.”
Roy thanked the Government of Canada and the Province of Quebec for their efforts to this point, and said producers need to be part of the ongoing dialogue.
“For now, we need to focus on the almost 1,000 Olymel employees who will be laid-off in a rural region of Canada, and on the producers who need to find a new home to sell their products,” Roy explained. “The Canadian Pork Council will work with all those who can bring solutions to this challenge.”
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