The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, highlighted support of up to $12.8 million through the Emergency Processing Fund for 135 food processing companies in Quebec. Minister Bibeau announced this support to delegates of the Quebec Food Processing Council (CTAQ) ahead of their annual general meeting.
With this funding, recipients are adopting measures to help keep employees safe and increase their capacity. This includes making adjustments to enable social distancing, purchasing reuseable personal protective equipment (PPE), increasing cleaning, improving air circulation within their facilities and developing employee training. These improvements are supporting the food self-sufficiency in Quebec by helping processors secure their operation.
Minister Bibeau spoke alongside representatives of Charcuterie Scotstown and Aliments Levitts, meat processors in Scotstown and LaSalle, which are both receiving up to nearly $100,000. With EPF support, Charcuterie Scotstown expanded their refrigeration and storage capacity and made changes to ensure safe social distancing for their employees. Aliments Levitts used its funding to relocate workstations and reconfigure major sections of its plant.
The Government of Canada will continue working with food processors to protect the health and well-being of workers in food processing plants across Canada and strengthen our food supply chain.
Source : Government of Canada