LONGUEUIL, QUÉBEC – At a gala reception held in Québec City on January 30, Agropur Cooperative paid tribute to its members who recorded the best milk quality results. Les Entreprises Agricoles Michel Dagenais Inc. from the Laurentides-Lanaudière region, represented by Michel and Andrée Gaudreault, ranked in first place. The farm, located in Oka (Québec), has a herd of 45 purebred Holstein cows and achieved the best overall combined result for milk quality and farm inspection. In addition, Agropur awarded an honourable mention to Scott and Sebrina Robinson of Wards Creek (New Brunswick), who joined the Cooperative following the merger of Agropur and Dairytown. The Robinson family's 50-head Holstein herd also produces milk of outstanding quality.
At the end of the competition, 17 new regional champions were inducted into Agropur's Club of Excellence for their outstanding performance among the Cooperative's membership in Québec, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland-and-Labrador.
The Club of Excellence has always promoted best management practices for milk quality by producers, and has welcomed more than 1,900 award winners into its ranks since it was first created. Agropur is a leader in the field of milk quality, and is proud of the efforts it has made over the years. Club of Excellence membership marks the culmination of a rigorous selection process among the Cooperative members with the best results.
In his speech, Agropur President Serge Riendeau had this to say: "As producers, the Gala allows us, collectively, to become part of the Cooperative's ongoing process of improvement and to play a role in its success. It also allows Agropur to maintain privileged ties with its members, and to share an interest in and responsibility for milk quality, for the greater benefit of our customers and consumers."
About Agropur
Founded in 1938, Agropur Cooperative is a leading player in the North American dairy industry with sales of more than $4.7 billion as of the end of 2014. The Cooperative is a source of pride for its 3,473 dairy producer members and 8,000 employees. Agropur now processes more than 5.4 billion litres of milk per year in its 40 plants across North America and boasts an impressive line of well-known brands and products, including Natrel, Québon, OKA, Farmers, Central Dairies, Sealtest, biPro, Island Farms, Agropur Grand Cheddar, and the Ultima Foods joint venture's iögo and Olympic brands.
Source: Agropur Cooperative