The Ontario Independent Meat Processors (OIMP) will be diving more into the issue around labour shortages along with market access in a three-part initiative.
Recently, OIMP received money from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and will be using it to explore and identify what’s holding back the industry when it comes to expanding their markets.
“Labour is an example of a major growth barrier for our members and their ability to expand market access,” says OIMP executive director, Franco Naccarato. “The programs and services we are hoping to develop through this project will not only help our members deal with some of their challenges at a business level, but are also part of our long-term sustainability strategy as an association.”
The project will have a three-prong approach, with the first one being an overview of the current industry and looking at the best practices already being conducted. This will be followed by eight regional workshops and one-on-one interviews with members.
According to a news release, OIMP will also be developing a new brand strategy to refresh and modernize the association as part of efforts to attract new workers, especially younger people, into the sector.
“We are hoping we will come away with several actionable ideas for things we can do to add value to the membership and generate additional income for the association,” Naccarato adds. “I think our efforts will also serve as a demonstration of how not-for-profit associations can think outside the box in terms of sustainable funding.”
On top of the three projects, OIMP plans to have two specialty projects on the side. One will be focused on tools and resources the association can provide to increase member access to markets. The other will be to tackle services OIMP can offer to help members with their labour challenges.