Canada -- Co-op Atlantic have recently announced the construction of a new feed mill, replacing an existing facility in Moncton, Canada which has been in operation since 1946. The new mill will be located on a parcel of land adjacent to the existing structure. The construction project, estimated at $7.5 million, is expected to be completed by October of this year
The new facility will result in an increase in feed production efficiency. "This new feed mill, with its modern technology, represents a significant step forward in our feed production capability," said John Harvie, CEO for Co-op Atlantic. "The new mill will help us serve livestock producers in New Brunswick in a much more efficient manner. It will also allow us to better serve our growing retail Country Store business in all of the Atlantic Provinces.
The new mill will have a capacity to produce more than 40,000 tons of animal feed per year, complementing the existing Coop feed milling capacity in Atlantic Canada. This mill will have all the modern technology required to meet on and off farm production and food safety expectations and requirements.
"Throughout its history, the agriculture industry has played an important role in sustaining and encouraging the rural economy and communities of New Brunswick and other Atlantic provinces," said the New Brunswick Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Michael Olscamp. "The same is true of Co-op Atlantic. Over its 82-year history, Co-op Atlantic has had a positive impact on our communities through its commitment to supporting our local food producers, in particular, with this new mill, its continued commitment to the livestock sector, feed quality and food safety."
The agricultural component of Co-op Atlantic’s business model has always played an important role in its overall operations. The procurement and sale of grains and feeds at fair prices was in fact the principal factor behind the establishment of Co-op Atlantic, in 1927, then called the Maritime Livestock Board.
For Marcel Garvie, president of the Board of directors, this new feed mill is an expression of the Board and management’s long-term commitment to the Atlantic Provinces’ farming community. "Our members recognize the importance of the agricultural sector to our region’s economy and they have confidence in its future." Noting that agriculture is currently going through a transition, Mr. Garvie is optimistic that the demand for locally-produced product will sustain the viable agricultural industry in our region.
"True to our vision, Co-op Atlantic remains the only distributor of goods and services to both the producers of food and the consumers of food, strongly demonstrating the Co-operative Difference", said Garvie.
