Canada Royal Milk increasing production, partnering with goat milk producers
Canada Royal Milk (CRM) has announced they have achieved “an important milestone” in their commercial production. The company has established long-term partnerships with Ontario Goat Dairy Cooperative (ODGC) and Producteurs de lait de chèvre du Québec (PLCQ) who, together, represent over 120 goat dairy farms, according to CRM.
Canada Royal Milk, a division of Feihe, made a commitment to working with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs, the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation), as well as local goat dairy producers, to help grow the industry, according to a release from the company. CRM said that COVID-19 has impacted operations, as it has on all Canadian manufacturers, and the company is excited to overcome these challenges and increase commercial production of goat milk powder.
The partnerships with ODGC and PLCQ mark a significant milestone for CRM, the company said, enabling the growth of commercial goat milk powder production, utilization of both production lines, and expansion of the workforce. By establishing long-term partnerships, CRM said they are well placed to “capitalize on favourable market trends in goat dairy.” According to the release, goat milk is the most common milk consumed worldwide, and it is becoming recognized as an important part of nutrition and health. CRM said that demand for goat milk products is anticipated to increase rapidly in China and across Asia.
“The expansion of goat dairy is an industry-led initiative by our partners at ODGC and PLCQ. As a partner in growth, Canada Royal Milk hopes to contribute to a vibrant Canadian goat dairy industry,” said Chenggang Han, CRM’s General Manager. “We look forward to many years of collaboration with goat milk producers, working in-step to expand markets for high-quality powdered goat milk products.”
According to the release, over the next five years, the demand for goat milk will increase and CRM will be ready, ensuring local producers have a secure and stable market. Increases in the demand from CRM will be in collaboration with the producers, working together for sustainable growth.
“We are excited to see the company with both lines of cow and goat dairy in commercial production,” said Donna Gillespie, CEO of the Kingston Economic Development Corporation. “This brings increased local jobs and a significant economic impact on the city and surrounding rural areas. The partnerships with the goat dairy producers and industry groups supports our farmers and the rural economy of our region.”
“We know that there is a lot of potential in the goat milk industry and so it’s great to see CRM capitalize on trends in this market to achieve this significant milestone,” added Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson. “I’m always thrilled to see Kingston companies grow, and especially as they recover from the impacts of the pandemic!”
CRM began commercial production of goat milk powder in March and has increased the volume to a level that goat producers are able to supply consistently, the company noted. CRM will reportedly accept all excess milk from both ODGC and PLCQ to ease seasonal challenges faced by producers. According to the release, powdered goat milk has a longer shelf life than other goat dairy products, allowing the plant to accept and process excess milk year-round.
“ODGC supplies milk to processors throughout Ontario and Quebec, most of which are master cheese makers”, said René Zoller, Chair of the Board of Directors for the Ontario Dairy Goat Co-operative. “One of the most exciting things about the partnership with CRM and collaboration with PLCQ is the opportunity it provides for producers. CRM makes a different product with the milk, and more products means more stability for the industry, and possibility for innovation.”
Rémi Hudon, Chairman, Producteurs de lait de chèvre du Québec, expressed optimism about the collaboration with both Canada Royal Milk and ODGC. “PLCQ has been working to build a strong dairy goat industry in Quebec and to market the benefits of goat dairy,” Hudon said. “These partnerships will support our work and give us the opportunity to actively build the industry across the country and to reach for a healthy economical environment for the producers on a long-term basis.”
And let’s not forget that Kingston’s prison farms will also be supplying this facility. Corrections Canada is building a 2200-goat ILO at Joyceville Institution. Prison milk for infant formula? Canadian prison labour for a Chinese corporation? A goat factory farm funded by taxpayers? If only this story got as much attention as the spun press releases of a transnational corporation.
So glad the prison farms are back on track. It was a rather mean spirited action on behalf of Stephen Harper and the Conservative government of 2009 that closed down all the prison farms over the following two years, in spite of pleas from locals and even the National Farmers’ Union urged the government to reconsider, all to no avail.
Not to mention the environmental breaches neighbours have suffered from and the appalling housing conditions their ’employee’s were apparently forced to live in. Why has Kingston given tax breaks to a company like this?
A marvelous idea in the conception, but we should have done it ourselves, rather than giving our tax money to what is essentially a wing of the Chinese government. In the short time they have been here, we have heard about environmental breaches at the plant and some rather horrible breaches of labour law. Rather than providing jobs for Canadians, the company apparently prefers Chinese workers, probably because they Chinese workers will tolerate more abuse than our home-grown talent: witness the housing conditions that Chinese workers were living in while building that plant. So yes, we do have plenty of construction workers in Canada, but they weren’t used. Maybe that tower wouldn’t have collapsed if the construction had been more seriously vetted. Last we heard the plant wants to bring over a bookkeeper. Why would that be? Are the Chinese workers even paid a legal wage? This plant has been a big disappointment.