February 20, 2015 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Today, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular), on behalf of the Honourable Michelle Rempel, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart, announced over $13 million for the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre Inc. (Food Centre) to build and equip a new innovative facility. The Food Centre is the primary source of food product development, technology transfer and commercialization for the Saskatchewan food industry.
As Saskatchewan's agri-processing industry expands, so does the demand for new product development and commercialization. The new 30,000 square foot facility will support the expansion of Saskatchewan's food ingredient processing sector, housing product development, specialized laboratory services, extrusion technology, interim processing capacity and more.
The total cost of the project is expected to be just under $16 million. Nine million of the funding will be provided under Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative and $4.3 million will come from Western Economic Diversification Canada. The remaining funds, approximately $2.5 million, will come from industry investment into the Food Centre and from the Food Centre's capital replacement fund.
Since its inception in 1997, the Food Centre has worked with more than 245 clients and has developed over 600 food products. Some of the innovative products developed at the Food Centre include fruit infused honey, flavoured camelina oils, beef jerky, bison Saskatoon berry jerky, granola bars, breakfast cereals, and barley snacks, to name a few. Construction of the new facility will begin in spring 2015 and is expected to be completed by 2017.
Jeff English
Director of Communications
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
Joanne Mysak
Communications Manager
Western Economic Diversification Canada
306-975-5942
joanne.mysak@wd-deo.gc.ca
Angela Hall
Agriculture
Regina
306-787-2359
angela.hall@gov.sk.ca
Dan Prefontaine
President
Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre Inc. (Food Centre)
Saskatoon
306-933-7175
dprefontaine@foodcentre.sk.ca
