Upgrades to Miramichi, N.B., Agropur will make plant ‘centre of excellence’ for fluid milk

Agropur swung open the doors at its Miramichi, N.B., facility.

Carton by carton and bag by bag, the milk doesn’t stop moving in Miramichi, N.B., at the Agropur plant.

It’s a busy facility any day of the year, but officials have high hopes for the location to become the “centre of excellence” for maritime milk.

It’s being done by investing $20 million in the site, $2.4 million of which is coming from the province.

“It will secure Agropur’s presence in the Maritimes for the future, but most importantly it [supports] the longevity of the dairy farmers in the region,” says Agropur Fresh Products president Claudia Joanis. “We will be doubling capacity, but [with the upgrades] we will be able to accommodate the growth of the milk supply.”

The bulk of Agropur’s maritime fluid milk production will be done out of Miramichi, while the company’s facility in Bedford, N.S., will concentrate on value added protein products, which is growing in demand.

But Joanis says there is still plenty of people looking for the regular two per cent or other variety of your standard milk carton.

As for how the company plans to increase its milk making capacity, the plant has built an additional room which will soon house another filling machine that is faster and more efficient.

“They are really proud that Agropur is still investing,” says plant director Éric Larrivée on the community reaction since the upgrades were announced. “It’s really important for the economy, for the employees, and for the community.”

When asked if the upgrades will lead to any additional noise from the facility that could impact residents, Larrivée says things will feel the same outside.

The upgrades are also welcomed by New Brunswick’s dairy farmers, who are happy to see the milk made in the region will never leave it.

“As of now we do not have enough processing in New Brunswick,” says Dairy Farmers of New Brunswick chair Wietze Dykstra. “To have added processing is excellence for us.”

While the news is welcomed in Miramichi, it’s left a bad taste in the mouth in other parts in New Brunswick.

The upgrades in Miramichi will result in the closure of Agropur’s Dairytown site just outside of Sussex by the end of 2028.

“From a New Brunswick perspective, we are disappointed,” says Dykstra. “But we look at it as a maritime perspective, and all the investment that Agropur is making it is very good for the dairy farmers.”

The closure of the Sussex-based facility will result in 60 job losses. The upgrades in Miramichi will require an additional 15 hires, bringing the staff total for the plant to 115.

When asked if it’s possible some of those new positions could be filled by outgoing Dairytown employees, Joanis says the process is in the early stages.

“We are in discussion with the union right now,” says Joanis. “We have to keep in mind that [Dairytown] plant will continue its operation as it is for the next two years, but obviously we’re working with all of our network to see how we will plan the labor for this initiative.”

The upgrades to the Miramichi site are expected to be completed in 2027.

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