Due to increased retail demand for canned seafood during the COVID-19 pandemic, a Canadian lobster processor is investing CAD 2.3 million (USD 1.8 million, EUR 1.5 million) to expand and modernize its plant.
Louisbourg, Nova Scotia-based Canso Seafoods, owned by Louisbourg Seafoods, plans to add new equipment and make other changes so it can supply more cooked lobster meat and tails to the retail market.
While retail demand has soared due to consumers cooking at home more, expansion plans began before the pandemic hit, Louisboug Senior Operations Manager Allan MacLean told SaltWire.
“In 2019 we were looking at some of the changes that were occurring in the market for lobster tails and sections (and) … how we were looking at ways we could possibly extend the employment season in Canso,” MacLean said.
The plant currently operates for about three months of the year, but that could possibly be extended to six or seven months, according to MacLean.
Older equipment will be replaced with brand new machinery, a steam-cooker and a high-efficiency freezer, which will be designed and built specifically for the operation.
“It will automate some of the more labor-intensive processes that we have now. And in doing that, we will increase our overall daily production – in some cases almost double our daily production,” he said.
Canso expects the upgrades to be competed by early April 2021, which is timed for the start of the next lobster fishing season.
As of deadline, Canso did not respond to SeafoodSource’s request for comment.
