Food In Canada

Écolait secures multi-year U.S. contracts for Niche Pork

Food in Canada   

Business Operations Exporting & Importing Processing Meat &Poultry animal welfare

Écolait Ltée says the contracts for Niche Pork are recurrent for five years and will represent almost $15 million per year. The company has called on Ontario hog farmers and a Maritime pork producer to meet demand


St-Hyacinthe, Que. – Hog farmers in Ontario and a major pork producer in the Maritimes will be a little busier thanks to Écolait Ltée.

Écolait announced that it has secured several supply contracts in the U.S., which will result in the delivery, over the next few months, of thousands of hog carcasses to meet specific protocols relating to animal welfare, in particular.

FedsInvestinOntPork240x180The annual Niche Pork contracts, recurrent for five years, represent almost $15 million of additional income per year for the organization.

But in order to fulfill the contracts, Écolait signed service agreements in Ontario to recruit hog farmers dedicated to the production of meat that meets high-quality criteria, and the Maritime pork producer – all to help guarantee the supply.

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A number of production farms in Canada will benefit from the new Écolait production contracts. Under the terms of the agreement a bonus of $50 is paid for each hog produced in keeping with the specific protocols in order to meet the demand. Canada wide, this represents positive economic benefits of many millions of dollars.

For Écolait, the production protocols, which are increasingly specific and a constant concern for animal well-being, have allowed the company to sign supply agreements in the North American market.

Mario Maillet, Écolait’s president and GM, explains that this niche markets represent a real business opportunity for an organization like Écolait.

“We knew it was time to integrate these innovative and custom directions into our strategic development plan, which allowed us to fully benefit from the specific-demand market,” he says.

In a statement, Écolait says it hopes to become a leader in animal welfare matters. The company formed a partnership, unique in Canada, with the University of Prince Edward Island‘s faculty of Veterinary Medicine last September. Its purpose is to develop the best rules to follow for animal well-being.

Écolait, which has more than 300 employees, produces and processes high-quality milk- and grain-fed veal. The company has facilities in St-Hyacinthe and Terrebonne, Que., in Ontario and in the U.S. Écolait produces, processes and markets VIVO products and products under the Le Veau Charlevoix brand.


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