Government of Canada invests in Ontario cheese processor to increase production and competitiveness
News release
June 8, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Canadian dairy processors depend on continual innovation to stay competitive at home and abroad. Today, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced an investment of up to $2,038,092 for Quality Cheese in Vaughan, Ontario, under the Dairy Processing Investment Fund.
Quality Cheese uses cow, goat and buffalo milk to make award-winning Italian speciality cheeses and cheese products for the North American market. The investment is enabling the company to meet growing consumer demand for its products with the introduction of new production lines, cheese cutting, conditioning and ripening equipment, and packaging and storage hardware.
The company is also using a new software system to streamline the handling of all financial transactions and production functions, resulting in greater efficiency. As a result of these innovations, Quality Cheese has added 25 full-time positions, increasing its workforce to 108 people.
The $100-million Dairy Processing Investment Fund was created to help Canadian dairy processors modernize their businesses and improve their productivity and competitiveness. The fund has supported dairy processors in adapting to market changes resulting from the implementation of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
The Government of Canada recognizes that value-added processing is a source of growth for the Canadian dairy industry. Investing in the sector's future creates new market opportunities, drives the economy, and supports the long-term sustainability and productivity of the Canadian dairy industry.
Quotes
"The Government of Canada is proud to support the modernization and competitiveness of the dairy processing industry. This investment is helping Quality Cheese combine traditional cheesemaking methods with innovation, modernizing their operations and increasing their efficiency to meet growing consumer demand for their high-quality products.”
- The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
“Quality Cheese and the Borgo family have been a valued part of the Vaughan and Woodbridge business communities and the local agri-food industry for decades. Their growing North American market and industry recognition speak to the high quality of their products. Our support for this expansion and the jobs it has created is good news for Quality Cheese, for farmers, and our local communities.”
- Francesco Sorbara, Member of Parliament for Vaughan-Woodbridge
"With the help of funding through the Dairy Processing Investment Fund, we have been able to boost production at our facilities by investing in new equipment and talent. We have created 25 new full-time positions to meet our increased production capacity, and by reducing costs, we can focus on product innovation as we continue to be a leading supplier of specialty cheeses for the North American market.”
- Joseph Borgo, Vice-President of Finance, Quality Cheese Inc.
Quick facts
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Located in Vaughan, Ontario, Quality Cheese is a manufacturer, distributor and retailer of Italian specialty cheeses, including mozzarella, ricotta, mascarpone, burrata, gorgonzola, provolone, friulano, camembert and brie, as well as cheese snacks.
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The five-year Dairy Processing Investment Fund has helped 105 processors modernize and grow.
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The Government of Canada continues to help processors in supply managed sectors modernize through the six-year, $292 million Supply Management Processing Investment Fund announced this year.
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In 2021, Ontario’s dairy processing sector had sales of $5.1 billion and directly employed more than 10,000 people. In the same year, Ontario dairy farmers produced 3.1 billion litres of milk, with farm-gate sales of $2.3 billion.
Associated links
Contacts
Marianne Dandurand
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
marianne.dandurand@agr.gc.ca
343-541-9229
Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
1-866-345-7972
aafc.mediarelations-relationsmedias.aac@agr.gc.ca
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