Proposed Culled Sow Facility To Undergo Feasibility Study
By Robert Thomas
In a story we broke last week Donald's Fine Foods - the owners of Thunder Creek Pork - say they are looking into the viability of converting the former XL Beef Plant into a culled sow processing facility.
The proposed culled sow processing facility will operate independently of Thunder Creek Pork and employ about 100.
“Today's announcement is the first step toward a strategic investment to meet the demand for domestic sow processing," Allan Leung, CEO, Donald's Fine Foods said I’m a statement." We want to create more opportunities for pork producers and support the forecasted need for domestic sow processing capacity."
No financial details were released although sources say Donald’s Fine Foods is looking for civic, provincial and federal assistance in its startup. When Thunder Creek Pork was opened there was government assistance as part of the deal.
In the meantime Donald's Fine Foods, over the next six to eight weeks, will be undertaking a viability study as to whether there is support for a high tech culled sow facility in Moose Jaw.
The proposed Moose Jaw facility would process culled sows from all across Western Canada. Presently 80 percent of culled sows in Western Canada are shipped ti the United States.
A Moose Jaw facility would save on transportation costs plus eliminate paperwork to ship across an international border into the United States.
The study, expected to be completed in six to eight weeks, will consider the financial feasibility, plus the overall support from producers, the public and government for creating a technologically advanced sow processing facility serving Western Canadian hog producers.
The announcement of the proposed culled sow processing plant has the local business community on-line with the proposal.
“ A first step in restarting our community will take forward thinking and this new development opportunity maybe just that catalyst!” the Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce said in a statement.
At the present time some work is being done to the facility but it is unknown to what extent and why the work is being done.