With its rich rural tradition and forward-looking entrepreneurship, the agri-food industry is a major contributor to Québec's economy. Employing nearly 12% of the province's workforce, agri-food exports are booming, surpassing Canadian and worldwide growth rates for the past 10 years.
The industry owes its vitality primarily to the abundance and quality of raw materials that Québec has to offer.
- Pork: Québec is the largest pork producer in Canada.
- Soybeans: Quality food-grade specialized beans are grown in Québec.
- Berries: Québec is the world's third largest cranberry producer and a major Canadian producer of wild blueberries and strawberries.
- Vegetables: The province is recognized across Canada for the quantity and variety of vegetables it grows.
- Maple syrup: Québec is home to over 70% of world production.
- Refined sugar: Québec's quality and prices are unsurpassed in North America.
- Drinking water: The province has some of the world's largest fresh water reserves.
Québec also offers food processors other advantages, including:
- A clean, abundant and affordable source of energy (hydroelectricity);
- Qualified labour trained at specialized agri-food schools;
- World-renowned agri-food research centres;
- An attractive tax regime for R&D and the purchase of manufacturing and processing equipment;
- Numerous financial assistance programs.
Given everything Québec has to offer, it's no surprise that multinationals like Barry Callebaut, Bonduelle, Cargill, Danone, Kraft and Parmalat have all chosen to set up operations right here.
"Investissement Québec helped us develop a nearly $8-million project to purchase cutting-edge packaging equipment with a non-refundable contribution. They also put us in touch with all the people we needed to get the project off the ground."—Christian Bossé, Operations Manager, Dare Foods, 2009.
Your company is growth-minded. Expand your horizons in Québec.
Last update: August 2010 |