Agri-Food
A BOOMING HUB
In addition to its strategic location, the Agglomération de Longueuil is at the centre of a booming agri-food zone. Processing, distribution and supply companies, as well as all levels of the chain of operations, are present in the area.
Agri-food in our area by the numbers
The agglomeration is an integral part of North America’s major commercial and economic networks. The region provides direct access to more than 135 million consumers within a radius of 1,000 km.
198
businesses
8,029
jobs
Almost 50%
of the roughly 400 food processing companies in the Montérégie region are located here
32%
of our land area is designated for agriculture
MAJOR PLAYERS IN THE AREA
A valuable ally to the development of sustainable agriculture
The region’s agri-food industry benefits from the presence of a partner dedicated to helping develop agricultural land and agri-food businesses. The Research and Development Institute for the Agri-Environment supports SMEs in their efforts to develop innovative solutions to promote sustainable agriculture in Quebec.
Industry data for Greater Montreal
- >12,000 university students are enrolled in programs related to food processing*
- >46,500 people are employed in food processing in Greater Montreal**
- Intermodal transportation hub with over 142 million tonnes of goods handled***
- Operating costs in the industry are 23% lower than the average of the 20 largest metropolitan areas in Canada and the United States (Source: MI)
- Low and stable electricity rates for small-power and large-power customers
*Source: Montréal International, Greater Montréal: Epicentre of the Food Processing Industry in Québec. 2020.
**Source: National Occupational Classification (NOC), 2019
***Source: Montréal International, Greater Montréal: Epicentre of the Food Processing Industry in Québec. 2020.
OUR KEY STRENGTHS
- Very high concentration of Quebec’s wholesale bakeries
- Near several large research centres and the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA)
- Our peri-urban agricultural model
- Our accessible, strategic zone
- Research and Development Institute for the Agri-Environment
- It has 3 laboratories in our area:
- The Integrated Fruit Production Laboratory
- The Environmental Microbiology Laboratory — Phytopathology
- The Environmental Microbiology Laboratory — Agricultural Environment Hygiene