A new Canadian meat processing hub, the Centre for Meat Innovation and Technology (CMIT), will advance and strengthen new technology and advance employee skills in the segment.
“This center will ultimately help both processors and meat and poultry producers,” said CMIT director Luis Garcia.
“We did our research and both processors and farmers told us there was significant room for them to grow if some of the key barriers holding them back could be addressed.”
To facilitate innovation in processing, CMIT will collaborate with the University of Guelph to allow processors to test the suitability of new technologies for their facilities.
The University of Guelph also recently announced that they were partnering with the Government of Ontario and the province’s four poultry industry boards to construct a poultry research center in the Township of Elora. Ontario-led agrifood research conducted at this facility will support animal welfare, reproduction, and nutrition, as well as meat quality and safety.
In addition, to combat labor shortages in the industry, CMIT will also offer mini-credentialling courses, such as sausage making, to help processors train and retain skilled workers.
The center is supported and founded by Meat and Poultry Ontario, a coalition of independent businesses in the meat and poultry sector. CMIT plans to be self-sustaining within five years through a combination of fees for services and a campaign to launch $1 million to cover initial operating costs.
“The Centre for Meat Innovation and Technology is an example of how our agri-food advocacy groups are highlighting the valuable career opportunities available in Ontario’s agri-food sector,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
“I would like to express my appreciation to the organizations who have donated the new equipment for this facility, and to Meat and Poultry Ontario for making this Centre a welcomed reality.”
