October 24, 2014 – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
A new $4-million processing system at Peak of the Market will ensure Manitoba-grown vegetables are shipped to consumers efficiently and with even higher quality, Manitoba Healthy Living and Seniors Minster Sharon Blady and Member of Parliament for Elmwood-Transcona Lawrence Toet, on behalf of Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, announced today at the facility's ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The project received $336,000 from Growing Forward 2 (GF2) – Growing Innovation. New state-of-the art equipment is expected to increase productivity by 30 per cent, reduce vegetable bruising and damage to ensure higher quality produce for consumers and create a better environment for staff.
An entire section of Peak of the Market’s processing facility in Winnipeg was renovated and now includes new equipment, including:
- 12-foot high robots with custom-designed robotic hands capable of filling retail bins;
- custom-made telescopic, retractable unloading system;
- customized automatic rope wrapping pallet system;
- metal detectors for all packed products; and
- an automated pallet placement system
The majority of the new equipment was made in Canada, with some pieces sourced and customized from the Netherlands, Germany and the United States.
Peak of the Market is a grower-owned vegetable supplier that has operated in Manitoba for 72 years. They supply over 120 varieties of vegetables, including potatoes, carrots, onions, beets and cabbage, to consumers. The company, along with its growers, employs more than 1,000 Manitobans and contributes more than $80 million to the provincial economy every year. For more information about Peak of the Market, visit www.peakmarket.com.
For more information about the Growing Innovation program or Manitoba’s vegetable industry, visit www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture.
The federal and provincial governments are investing $176 million in Manitoba under Growing Forward 2, a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial policy framework to advance the agriculture industry, helping producers and processors become more innovative and competitive in world markets.
Emily Hogeveen
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Gerry Ritz
613-773-1059
Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972
Follow us on Twitter: @AAFC_Canada
Caedmon Malowany
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Ron Kostyshyn
204-945-1494
