Agriculture Roundup for Thursday February 2, 2023

Feb 03, 2023

A Quebec company has purchased an Innisfail, Alta. processing plant and major lamb feedlot.

Préval AG is owned by Alexandre Donald, and Fabien Fontaine. Their company has more than $720 million in annual sales.

The deal is good news for lamb producers, as the Innisfail processing plant formerly known as SunGold Speciality Meats is the only federally inspected plant in Western Canada.

Préval AG, headquartered in Saint-Hyacinthe, has more than 1,400 employees, many working for companies it has acquired. Its products include veal, lamb, and beef sold under brands such as Famille Fontaine and Catelli Brothers, as well as market vegetables and grain.

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Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.