OTTAWA – The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) stated on April 18 that it will support workers affected by the recently announced closure of Olymel’s Vallée-Jonction pork processing plant. 

CPC acknowledged the reasons for the Olymel closure, which included ongoing labor shortages, inflationary pressure and accessibility challenges to foreign market.

“We know food security is an ongoing question for governments across Canada, and food security starts with producers being able to compete and have buyers for their products,” said René Roy, chair of CPC. “This is tough news to hear, but we will work with governments and with our partners to find long-term solutions. This closure will impact Quebec, Atlantic Canada and other parts of the country, so a national solution is required.” 

CPC said Canada’s $7 billion pork industry includes about $5 billion in exports. 

“There are international markets for our products, and Canadian pork producers are cost-competitive globally,” Roy said. “We need our trade agreements to work for us, we need our agricultural policies to work for us, and we need to work together as an industry to find long-term solutions.” 

Roy thanked the Canadian government of the Quebec Province for its efforts on the issues to this point.

“For now, we need to focus on the almost 1,000 Olymel employees who will be laid off in a rural region of Canada, and on the producers who need to find a new home to sell their products,” Roy said. “The Canadian Pork Council will work with all those who can bring solutions to this challenge.”

Olymel previously said that due to the large capacity at Vallée-Jonction, the facility closure will happen over eight months. During mid-September, the evening shift of 443 production workers will stop. The day shift, which employs 468 workers, plans to continue until the plant ceases operations on Dec. 22, 2023.