A fire that caused $35 million in damage at a Lilydale Food’s processing plant in Edmonton Jan. 29 will set back plant operations by at least six months, said the general manager of the Alberta Chicken Producers.
“The loss of this is huge,” said Lloyd Johnson of Edmonton.
“It should have been a profitable arm of the business.”
Johnson estimates it will be at least six months before work resumes at the plant. The facility produced breaded chicken, sausage and smoked meats from turkey, chicken, beef and pork.
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It also provided chicken for outlets such as KFC.
Once the site is cleaned, it could take weeks to find and order the specialty equipment used at the plant.
“You don’t just buy the equipment off the shelf,” said Johnson.
The company, established in 1940, has expanded throughout Western Canada, although the south Edmonton plant was the main plant for further processing.
About 200 chicken farmers are members of the Lilydale co-operative, which provides a marketing outlet for their poultry.
Alberta chicken farmers raise 110 million kilograms of chicken each year. Lilydale used one million kg of eviscerated chicken, or 650,000 chickens, each week, said Johnson.
The cause of the fire, which occurred during one of the coldest weeks of the year, is still under investigation. No one was injured during the fire.
