KINGSTON — Canada Royal Milk’s Kingston plant has tapped into a supply of goat milk from over 120 Ontario and Quebec producers, allowing the Chinese-owned baby-formula maker to fulfill its original goal of processing both goat and cow milk.
The involved goat farms are part of the Ontario Dairy Goat Cooperative (ODGC) and the Producteurs de lait de chèvre du Québec (PLCQ), which have entered long-term partnerships with Canada Royal Milk (CRM), according to an April 25 announcement from the company.
Beijing-based Feihe International established CRM in 2016 and built a Canadian plant to make infant formula destined for export back to China. The Eastern Ontario facility went online in August 2020, processing cow’s milk supplied by the Dairy Farmers of Ontario.
In March of this year, CRM began commercial production of goat milk powder and increased volumes to a level that goat producers are able to supply consistently. CRM says it will accept all excess milk from both ODGC and PLCQ to ease seasonal challenges faced by those producers. Powdered goat milk has a longer shelf life than other goat dairy products, allowing the plant to process incoming shipments year-round.
“One of the most exciting things about the partnership with CRM and collaboration with PLCQ is the opportunity it provides for producers,” ODGC Chair René Zoller explained, noting that milk from the organization typically goes to master cheesemakers. “CRM makes a different product with the milk, and more products means more stability for the industry and possibility for innovation.”
CRM says that bringing goat milk into the plant is a milestone achievement that brings both production lines into service. It predicts an expansion both in its Kingston workforce and its use of goat milk as demand for the product increases in China and Asia over the next five years.
“We look forward to many years of collaboration with goat milk producers, working in-step to expand markets for high-quality powdered goat milk products,” Chenggang Han, CRM’s General Manager, said.
“I’m always thrilled to see Kingston companies grow and especially as they recover from the impacts of the pandemic,” Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson declared.
