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Lactalis Canada advances Canadian dairy leadership position with strategic acquisition of Agropur's fine cheese division. Transaction includes renowned Quebec-made brands OKA, Monsieur Gustav and L'Extra, two production facilities and fine cheese import activities. TORONTO, July 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Lactalis Canada Inc ('Lactalis Canada'), the Canadian dairy leader behind emblematic brands including Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Balderson, Astro and Lactantia, and part of France based Lactalis Group - today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement with Agropur Cooperative to acquire assets of its fine cheese division including renowned Quebec-made brands OKA, Monsieur Gustav and L'Extra, two production facilities as well as its fine cheese import activities. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and approval by Competition Bureau Canada. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. These artisanal cheeses enhance Lactalis Canada's portfolio of specialty and core cheese brands - including Galbani, Président, Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, P'tit Québec, Balderson, Cheestrings Ficello and aMOOza! - further reinforcing the company's strength and breadth in the dairy case to meet consumer demand for high-quality cheese. "This acquisition represents a major opportunity for Lactalis to build on flagship Quebec brands and outstanding cheesemaking expertise. It strengthens our position in the Canadian market and supports our ambition to provide consumers with healthy, high-quality dairy products, driven by excellence and innovation," said Emmanuel Besnier, Chairman of Lactalis Group. "This acquisition reflects Lactalis Canada's clear ambition in this country - to lead through investment in efficient capacity and capability building, trusted national brands including customer brands and strong partnerships across the dairy value chain," said Mark Taylor, President & CEO, Lactalis Canada. "Building on the significant investments we have made in the Canadian dairy and food manufacturing sector, this latest transaction underscores yet another important milestone in Lactalis Canada's growth journey and highlights our role as a priority market for Lactalis Group." Preserving Heritage Brands through Tradition, Expertise and Local Commitment Through this transaction, Lactalis Canada will acquire two production facilities in Oka and Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec and add approximately 400 employees to its 4,500 team across Canada. "We place great value on this cheese portfolio being steeped in heritage and deeply intertwined within the fabric of Quebec," continued Taylor. "In keeping with Lactalis Group's respect for the terroirs and pride in global cheesemaking expertise, we are committed to preserving the authenticity and quality of these award-winning brands. This extends to being an active member of the Oka and St-Hyacinthe communities - supporting employees, farmers and partners and contributing meaningfully to the people and places that have shaped these beloved brands." A Track Record of Investment & Growth in Canada Since 2018, Lactalis Canada has become the third largest branded CPG in Canada, driven by strategic growth and sustained investments that include: * Completion of four major acquisitions, including the $1.62 billion acquisition of Kraft Heinz's natural cheese business in Canada - the largest transaction in the Canadian dairy sector - as well as Ultima Foods Inc., Kraft Heinz's grated cheese business, and Marie Morin Canada. * More than $900 million in capital investments and transformation projects to enhance capacity and capabilities across 19 Canadian manufacturing sites and multiple distribution centres including a new 379,000-square-foot, zero-carbon-ready distribution centre in Oshawa, Ontario. * Processing approximately 2.2 billion litres of 100% Canadian milk and over one million kilograms in volume annually, supporting the Canadian dairy sector and supply chain. * A vast portfolio of iconic and award-winning brands with leading market position, trusted by and present in 9 out of 10 Canadian households. * Growing its Canadian workforce by 48%, to 4,500 employees nationwide, with ongoing investment in training and upskilling. * Delivering meaningful ESG impact, including more than $3 million in annual community investment. About Lactalis Canada Inc. With over 140 years of brand heritage, Lactalis Canada is the Canadian dairy leader behind iconic brands Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, P'tit Québec, Balderson, Cheestrings Ficello, aMOOza!, Astro, Khaas, siggi's, IÖGO, IÖGO nanö, Olympic, Lactantia, Beatrice, Bfit, Enjoy!, Marie Morin Canada, Galbani, and Président. With more than 30 operating sites including 19 manufacturing facilities across Canada, the company and its more than 4500 employees are committed to enriching and nurturing the lives of Canadians through sustainable and responsible growth, high-quality products, contribution to communities and partnership with farmers, customers, partners and suppliers. Lactalis Canada has been named on Forbes' 2025 Best Employers in Canada and one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers for 2025 and 2026. The company is part of Lactalis Group, the world's leading dairy company, headquartered in Laval, France. For more information, visit www.lactalis.ca Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. Chemicalspressreleases do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.

Ag in the house: june 1 - 5. Jun 08, 2026 By Diego Flammini Assistant Editor, North American Content, Farms.com Minister MacDonald highlighted ag investments on June 1 In question period on June 1, Pat Kelly, the Conservative MP for Calgary Crowfoot, asked why the Liberals guided Canada into a recession when the rest of the world is facing some of the same outside challenges. Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald provided the government's response. He reminded the House of recent industry investments, "like Kraft Heinz investing $250 million in Montreal and Bayer investing $45 million in canola research in Winnipeg," the minister said. "A couple of weeks ago, I was at K+S Potash in Saskatchewan, which is investing $3 billion over 10 years. Cargill in Saskatchewan is investing $350 million in a new crushing plant, and Imperial Oil in Strathcona is investing in biofuels." On June 3, MacDonald answered a question from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. Poilievre asked Prime Minister Carney to clarify if Canada is in either a technical or real recession. MacDonald's answer didn't address the issue of the economy. "Mr. Speaker, every time I get on my feet in this House and talk about farmers, it is a good day. If that is what it takes to get a reaction over there about how important farming is in this country, then that is what we need to do, and I will do it every time," he said. On June 4, the ag minister participated in an exchange with Dave Epp, the Conservative MP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington, and an Ontario farmer. Epp pointed out the challenging economic times Canadian families, farmers, and businesses are facing under the Liberals. "Why are the Liberals content to watch Canada's competitiveness and productivity erode? Is this a technical recession or technically a failure of policy?" MacDonald's response highlighted investments in Epp's riding and around Ontario ag. "There is Ideal Can, which is moving to Leamington, one of the only canning companies in the country using aluminum and steel from Canada," he said. "We are going to continue to invest in the processing sector and in agriculture. There are all kinds of companies. I am talking about Massilly North America's $85-million new food packaging processor and Agropur's plans to invest nearly $1 billion in plants in eastern Canada. We are going to continue to invest in Ontario." When Epp pressed the government on declining productivity and investments, MacDonald mentioned additional projects in the ag and food sectors. On June 5, Epp asked the government about another item impacting the ag sector. He wanted answers related to the progress of the Alto rail project despite concerns from farmers. "Is the Liberals' plan for food security to slice up farmland? Is this what they call governing in a technical recession, or is it really just a technical war on agriculture?" he asked. Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon answered. The government will do its due diligence, he said. "We will, of course, achieve that by working with farmers and their representatives. We will, of course, do that by upholding principles whereby agriculture continues to flourish in our country," he said. "We do note the Conservatives' opposition to this project. I can tell that member that most Canadians have noted their opposition to that project as well." Bigger Yields, Bigger Savings and Less Time

Farmers onside with closing dairy plant, Agropur says. Change expected to double the processing capacity in Maritimes. Jordan Gill · CBC News · Posted: May 21, 2026 2:00 AM PDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago Estimated 3 minutes Social sharing. The owners of a Sussex-area dairy plant scheduled to close by 2028 say farmers in the region are largely supportive of the move, even though it will mean a loss of jobs. In April, the dairy product co-operative Agropur announced the planned closure of the southern New Brunswick plant, as well as its Truro, N.S., plant. At the same time, the company expects to expand production in Miramichi and at its Bedford, N.S. plant. Maxime Devourdy, president of ingredients at Agropur, said the company held meetings with farmers in the region about two weeks ago and found support for the change. "They understand that it's a good project overall for the future of the dairy industry in the region," Devourdy said. "It was the [Sussex] discussion that was a bit more tough. But again, we felt that we have the support from them." Future unclear. The expansion of Agropur's Miramichi plant means an additional 15 jobs there, but an overall loss of 45 jobs for New Brunswick. When asked, Devourdy wouldn't say if those additional jobs would be offered to employees at the Sussex plant. "We have still two years ahead of us," he said. "So we can prepare accordingly. So we can do an assessment of the workforce that we need." The Sussex-area plant opened in 1984 under the Dairytown name. That company, which made butter and milk powders, merged with Agropur in 2014. Devourdy said there has been no "tangible conversation" yet about what to do with plants when they become vacant. "We still have a long time to operate these sites, and then that's something that we're going to discuss further with other stakeholders." Growing market. Devourdy said one of the major benefits of the change will be more Maritime milk processed in the Maritimes. Currently, a lot of milk produced in the Maritimes has to be shipped to Quebec and Ontario to be processed. "We are doubling the capacity of the milk that is being processed in the region," he said. "We can absorb Sussex central volume, we can keep the milk that is being... transferred to other provinces and, as well, we have room to grow in the future." One of the major factors in upgrading the Bedford plant is the ability to process more protein-enriched milk products, such as skim milk powder and condensed skim milk. Devourdy said enriched protein milk products are a rapidly growing market. "This is, I would say, the category that is growing at a double digit rate," he said. "We see it as a segment that's going to continue to take more place in our portfolio, and there's going to be a growth phase." Jordan Gill is a reporter based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. With files from Mark Leger