Deepak Obhrai, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and MP for Calgary East, on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, announced an investment to BHJ Canada Meat Products Inc., towards the purchase and installation of new equipment and technology at their facility in Calgary.

"Our Government is helping Alberta meat processors become more profitable and competitive because the economy is our number one priority," said MP Obhrai.

"This investment will help BHJ Canada Meat Products Inc. expand their operations and increase domestic and export sales, helping to strengthen our economy for the future."

BHJ is a processing company that supplies materials from various Alberta beef, pork and poultry producers to the pet food industry in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. The new equipment will help BHJ increase their competitiveness, production capacity and sales.

The project will benefit farmers through an increased demand by BHJ for meat and poultry products, and it will also support the creation of new jobs. The equipment also provides a value-added option for products that currently go unused.

"This investment was key to our expansion," noted Rod Deibert, President of BHJ Canada.

"It enabled us to pursue a project that enhances our core business and expands our processing capacity from a range of suppliers within our industry."

This repayable contribution of $1 million is being delivered by the Agricultural Flexibility Fund through the AgriProcessing Initiative, a five-year, $50 million initiative designed to enhance the competitiveness of the agri-processing sector in Canada.

It provides support to existing companies for projects that involve the adoption of innovative and new-to-company manufacturing technologies and processes that are essential to sustaining and improving the sector's position in today's global marketplace.

Through Canada's Economic Action Plan (EAP), the Harper Government is helping farmers find new markets, adapt to current economic challenges and make their businesses more efficient and environmentally sustainable. The Next Phase of the EAP will remain focused on strengthening the economy, while working towards returning to balanced budgets and securing Canada's economic future.