Last Friday, Kody Blois, member of parliament for Kings–Hants, announced an investment of up to $2,932,500 for Eden Valley Poultry under the Supply Management Processing Investment Fund, according to a government-issued press release.

The investment will help Eden Valley Poultry modernize its processing and wastewater systems, purchase and install new packaging equipment, and adopt an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Through these improvements, the company will be able to increase processing capacity and efficiency through automation.

The Supply Management Processing Investment Fund helps processors of supply-managed commodities increase their competitiveness and resilience in the face of evolving markets. The Fund is part of the Government of Canada's commitment to support processors in these sectors to address the impacts of recent international trade agreements.

The government of Canada said it will continue to preserve, protect, and defend Canada's supply management system as it supports the livelihood of producers by providing the opportunity to receive fair returns on their labour and investments. Consumers, the press release said, benefit from a steady supply of high-quality products.

"Canada's supply management system provides a fair price for our farmers, brings stability for our processors, and is the backbone of rural communities in Nova Scotia and across the country," said Lawrence MacAulay, Canada's minister of agriculture. "With this investment, Eden Valley Poultry will adopt new equipment to keep its operations innovative so it can remain competitive and continue to deliver quality poultry products for consumers."

"Eden Valley Poultry is grateful for the financial support of the government of Canada through the Supply Management Processing Investment Fund," said Werner Barnard, president and chief executive officer, Eden Valley Poultry Incorporated. "These funds will add to our continuous reinvestment in our plant and help our vision of being a leading processor and marketer of choice for Nova Scotia and PEI chicken and turkey. Eden Valley Poultry is proud to feed Canadians."