The Economic Development Officer with the Town of Neepawa is calling for a responsible reasoned approach to addressing water quality concerns in Lake Winnipeg.
Maple Leaf Foods in Brandon and Hylife Foods in Neepawa have expressed concern over the impact new restrictions on hog production contained in the recently passed “Save Lake Winnipeg Act” could have on their ability to access the number of hogs required to maintain processing plant capacity.
Rick Donaldson, the Economic Development Officer with the Town of Neepawa, notes the Hylife Foods plant will employ about 800 people by the end of 2012.
Those 800 people equate into roughly, when you include families and that, another thousand in population.
The payroll for 800 people, while it doesn’t all stay in Neepawa, it stays in the region for the most part so it’s a really money motor and an economic motor for the town and the surrounding areas.
Most of the pork processing work-force is new Canadians and they bring a wide diversity of skills and interests and they all shop locally.
The other thing I might add is Hylife has been a great corporate citizen.
They get involved in many of the community functions both as sponsors and manpower.
Some of the common shareholders have invested in other businesses such as construction and development companies so the spin-offs are fantastic.
Donaldson says, if Hylife isn’t able to access adequate hog supplies, it’s ability to serve world markets and finance expansion will be impacted.
He suggests the province needs to slow things down and provide a forum that allows the entire pork distribution channel from the producer to the consumer to be involved coming up with solutions.
