Maple Leaf Foods in Brandon is expanding, thanks to multi-million dollar upgrade to the city's waste-water facility.

On Friday Manitoba Premier Gary Doer announced Brandon's waste-water facility will receive a $15.5 million upgrade.

The Manitoba government is putting in $7.8 million. The remainder will come from the City of Brandon and Maple Leaf Foods.

Improving the water treatment plant will allow Maple Leaf to increase its hog processing capability; from 75,000 to 86,000 hogs per week.

"Today's investment builds on our government's ongoing commitment to protect our waterways while promoting economic development and jobs in Brandon and western Manitoba," said Doer in a news release. "Manitoba hog producers, like many livestock producers, are dealing with the dual impact of a strong Canadian dollar and rising feed costs."

Maple Leaf will also get more than $1 million in training assistance to support the new jobs created by the expansion in both Brandon, and a scheduled expansion of the plant on Lagimodiere Boulevard in Winnipeg.

Maple Leaf Foods in Brandon currently employs 3,000 people.

Neepawa to get similar upgrade, expansion

Meanwhile, Neepawa's industrial waste-water treatment facility will also be upgraded. The upgrade will allow Hytek to expand its hog processing capability at its Springhill Farms processing operation.

Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Minister Rosann Wowchuk made the announcement.

"The BSE crisis taught us the American border can close at a moment's notice," said Wowchuk. "Millions of weanlings are exported to the United States every year but that could come to an abrupt stop should the border close to trade. We need to ensure we have the processing capacity in place to help manage any future border closure or trade action."

The Manitoba government is putting in $11.8 million into the upgrade.

Wowchuk also announced that Manitoba will provide Hytek, the company that owns Springhill Farms, with up to $10 million in an interest-bearing, fully repayable loan. Hytek will also receive $600,000 in training assistance to support new jobs created as a result of expansion to Springhill Farms.

The Neepawa plant employs about 200 people.

Earlier this week, the NDP government indefinitely extended a ban on new or expanded hog plants in three areas of Manitoba.

Hog industry critics say that isn't enough to address concerns over spreading manure and waste water that runs into rivers and lakes.

With files from The Canadian Press