Food processors in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region of Quebec are getting special funding from Ottawa to upgrade their COVID-19 protective equipment.

Serres Toundra, a cucumber processing plant in Saint-Felicien, will receive $236,000 to help pay for personal protective equipment (PPE) including hygiene stations and a thermal camera to check for fevers.

The three other investments made through the Quebec Food Processing Council (CTAQ) will go to processors in Alma, including:

  • $42,000 for Perron, a meat processing company.
  • $17,500 for Charcuterie L. Fortin, another meat processor.
  • $86,000 for Nutrinor Cooperative, responsible for various food products.

That funding will go towards PPE, adapting ventilation systems, and reorganizing warehouses to allow more physical distancing.

Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food announced the $380,000 as part of the Emergency Processing Fund on Wednesday. She says she hopes the money will help processors “safeguard their employees,” while “keeping our food supply chain strong and our rural communities vibrant."