Dairy Processing Investment Fund (DPIF): $1.5M for St-Albert Cheese

Established in 1894, St-Albert Cheese Co-operative specializes in making cheese products from 100% pure milk without any modified milk ingredients. They have a wide range of cheeses including smoked cheddar, brie, medium cheddar, and mozzarella. Their cheeses have won multiple awards in national and international competitions, such as the Spencerville Fair, the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix, Toronto Winter Fair, and the British Empire Cheese Show. St-Albert Cheese has recently received Canadian government funding to modernize its current dairy processing equipment.

St-Albert Cheese has been made the recipient of $1,500,000 in Canadian government grants from the Dairy Processing Investment Fund (DPIF).

The Dairy Processing Investment Fund (DPIF) is a four-year (2017-2021) funding program providing support to dairy processors and cheese makers who are investing in areas that improve productivity and competitiveness, such as technology adoption projects. By investing in new technologies, processors can make their operations more efficient and cost-competitive with imported products. St-Albert will use agriculture grants to upgrade facility equipment to increase their product output and overall efficiency.

Dairy Processing Investment Fund: $1.5M for Facility Upgrades

Located in St. Albert, ON, St-Albert Cheese Co-operative is one of the oldest co-operatives in Canada and the only nineteenth-century Fromagerie still operating in eastern Ontario. Seven days a week, cheese products are made and distributed to more than 2,000 points of sale across eastern Ontario and western Quebec.

St-Albert Cheese has been awarded $1.5M in Canadian agriculture grants from the Dairy Processing Investment Fund (DPIF).

Canadian government grants from DPIF are supporting facility upgrades, which includes advanced equipment that will help plant operations and optimize the value of the company’s various products. This high-tech equipment will reduce the impact of power outages and better manage the ventilation and humidity levels of refrigeration equipment in the warehouses. These upgrades will allow St-Albert to increase the amount of milk products it processes while also reducing the costs of production.

About the Dairy Processing Investment Fund

The Dairy Processing Investment Fund (DPIF) offers support to the Canadian Dairy industry by providing funding for strategic projects that will help processors better compete with international dairy products. It offsets a portion of dairy processing equipment costs and enables more processors to access consultants and other expertise needed to make significant capital investments.

Applicants of DPIF may receive up to 50% of costs to a maximum of $10M for capital expenditure projects and $250,000 for access to expertise.

Examples of projects supported include:

• Manufacturing and processing improvements;
• Business improvement;
• Market development; and
• Construction, expansion, or renovation of dairy processing facilities.

The Dairy Processing Investment Fund has a continuous intake of funding applications until March 31, 2021, or until funding has been fully allocated.

Individuals interested in learning how to grow their Canadian agriculture business are encouraged to download Mentor Works’ Canadian Agri-Business Growth Guide.