Government of Ontario invests in agriculture with new IQF Facility
Announced today in Delhi, Ontario, the government of Ontario through the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has partnered with Naturally Norfolk, a Delhi-based company specializing in the processing of frozen fruits and vegetables, to launch the development of a new Individual Quick Freeze (IQF) facility in this south central Ontario community.
Announced by Rick Johnson, the Parliamentary Assistant to Leona Dombrowsky, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the government will contribute just under $1M will help establish a state-of-the-art food processing facility that will allow local producers and contract buyers to process locally-grown fruits, vegetables and ginseng in frozen and freeze-dried formats.
“We are developing this facility because we see an immediate need to support the local farmer” says Jim Irvin, CEO of Naturally Norfolk. “There is a good business opportunity to provide growers another viable outlet for their crops”.
Not only will this provide another path to market for growers, there will be a significant boost in local employment, with the facility to hire about 50 people. This will provide a needed influx of jobs for the local community that has been hurt so much by the collapse of the tobacco market.
“This investment by the Ontario government really supports our goals of promoting agri-food innovation and diversification in the region” said Dr. John Kelly, Vice President, Erie Innovation and Commercialization. “It is entrepreneurs like Mr. Irvin who have vision and energy to create opportunity that will lead to further successes in the region.”
Asparagus Growers of Ontario Board Chair Brenda Lammens is ecstatic about this new development. “We have long wanted an IQF facility through which our growers can process their product” says Lammens. “The Ontario government is to be commended for the leadership they have shown with this investment”.
“With the downturn in the economy and the collapse of the tobacco business, the South Central Ontario Region (SCOR) is relentlessly seeking new opportunities”” said Mayor Dennis Travale of Norfolk County. He is applauding this infusion of capital into the region. “This development will have a positive impact on this region as we explore every opportunity to sustain, grow and diversify the economy of the Sand Plain”
Today's investment was made through the Rural Economic Development (RED) program, which invests in projects that support sustainable rural economies and community partnerships -- a key part of the government's plan for rural Ontario. Through the RED program, the Ontario government and its rural partners are building stronger communities that work better for the people who live in them.
Located in Norfolk County in Ontario, the company is in the midst of 275,000 acres of prime farmland that produces a large variety of quality fruits and vegetables. The company has recognized the need for a value added distribution centre capable of supplying high quality, safety assured fresh frozen and dried products to the domestic and export markets.
For further information contact:
Jim Irvin, CEO
Naturally Norfolk
(519) 582 3386
ceo@naturallynorfolk.com
Dr. John Kelly
Vice President
Erie Innovations and Commercialization
1283 Blueline Road
Simcoe, Ontario. N3Y 4N5