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: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.