Co-op Atlantic formally opened up it's new feed production plant today in Moncton, Canada. Construction of the new feed mill took 18 months, costing approximately $8 million USD in total. The new facility is expected to result in a substantial increase in the efficiency of the production of animal feeds for Atlantic Ocean farmers.
The new feed production facility will replace an aging plant that has been in operation since 1946. The new feed mill boasts fully automated processes, that include the measuring and dosing of feed formulations, feed mixing and finished product packaging in bulk bags or direct to feed trucks.
New Brunswick Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Michael Olscamp, while in attendance at the opening ceremony complimented Co-op Atlantic for showing a spirit of innovation in its advanced and sophisticated animal nutrition plant. "This plant will create new opportunities for the agricultural sector, and of course more opportunities for co-operatives", said Michael Olscamp. He further added that throughout the past 85 years, "Co-op Atlantic has had a positive impact on our communities through its commitment to provide its producers with quality feeds."
Marcel Garvie, Co-op Atlantic president, then spoke reminding the 50 people in attendance that the company has its roots in agriculture, having been founded in 1927 by local farmers and livestock raisers who were seeking a more effective way to commercialise their livestock and to produce greater quality poultry & beef.
Speaking about the new feed mill, CEO of Co-op Atlantic, Paul-Émile Légère, said that the new plant is expected to have an output of greater than 35,000 tons per year, with the capacities to mix and produce more than 1,200 different feed formulations, using some 170 different feed ingredients. He further added, "Our new mill will serve our farming community more efficiently than ever before. Our local customers, who number more than 200 large commercial farms, will get high quality animal nutrition in formulated batches using the best equipment and processes available today."
Based in Moncton, on the East coast of Canada, Co-op Atlantic is jointly owned by around one hundred co-op businesses based in the 4 Atlantic Provinces and the Magdalen Islands. As well as manufacturing and supplying feeds, the company supplies food, agricultural and energy products, along with social housing & real estate services to greater than 150 communities throughout the Atlantic region.
