Member of Parliament for Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette Robert Sopuck, on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, announced a contribution of $10 million under the Slaughter Improvement Programme to the Hylife Foods facility in Neepawa.

"The livestock industry plays a major role in our local and national economy. This Government will continue to make strategic investments in the red meat industry to strengthen the competitiveness of Canada's livestock sector," said MP Sopuck.

"This investment will enhance Hylife Foods' production capacity so they can be better positioned to take advantage of growth opportunities, which in turn will lead to new opportunities for farmers. HyLife has been a major contributor to the growth and development of rural Manitoba communities by forging strong ties with hog producers and bringing new residents to Neepawa."

"The federal government's investment together with our financial commitment to HyLife Foods will help position us to succeed with our plant upgrades and value added product mix," said Mr Janzen, President of Hylife Foods Ltd.

"This will better position HyLife Foods and the Manitoba hog industry in a globally competitive pork industry. We wish to thank the federal government for their commitment to continue to strengthen the red meat industry."

Hylife Foods Ltd, formerly Springhill Farms, will receive C$10 million under the Slaughter Improvement Programme for upgrades to the wet area, expansion of the cooler and cutting areas, the purchase of new equipment and improvements to the work flow to enable further processing.

Manitoba's pork industry contributes more than C$750 million annually to the provincial economy and provides more than 13,000 jobs for Manitobans.

The C$60 million Slaughter Improvement Program makes federal repayable contributions available to support sound business plans aimed at reducing costs, increasing revenues and improving the operations of meat packing and processing operations in Canada.