On Friday, Premier Brian Pallister announced that the Manitoba government is supporting an expansion project at HyLife Foods Ltd.

“Our economy is growing here in Neepawa and throughout Manitoba, thanks to record levels of private-sector investment,” said Pallister. “Support for the expansion aligns with our priority of building on Manitoba’s industrial strengths. The growth we are seeing at HyLife helps position Manitoba pork as a high-quality, high-value commodity in a growing global market.”

The province is supporting the expansion in Neepawa and a new feed mill in the R.M. of Killarney-Turtle Mountain through tax increment financing (TIF) estimated at $9.5 million over 22 years. Manitoba and the Government of Canada provided an additional $2 million to the expansion through Growing Forward 2, a joint-funding program that ensures Canadian producers and processors are able to innovate and capitalize on emerging market opportunities.

Tax increment financing is a financing tool that governments use to encourage economic growth and development through incremental taxes created by significant new development.

“We thank the Manitoba government for their support enabling us to provide premium pork product and create jobs and economic activity locally here in Neepawa and in the province of Manitoba,” said Claude Vielfaure, CEO of HyLife. “Our products continue to be exported to countries around the world, with hogs raised in Manitoba and processed in Neepawa. We pride ourselves in being community partners, and are proud of our employees and their contributions to the community.”.Vielfaure noted HyLife’s expansion focuses on optimizing its integrated pork production system. It will expand the plant to enable a full double shift, improve process flows, allow investments into equipment, grow additional hog supply and integrate incremental feed supply."

Headquartered in La Broquerie, HyLife is the largest hog production company in Canada and among the top 15 in North America. Together with its affiliates, it has business holdings in Canada, the United States, Mexico and China.

HyLife exports 75 per cent of its products to 23 countries around the world including Japan, China, Mexico and Russia.