Nova Scotia

Quebec co-operative scoops up N.S. dairy

Another Nova Scotia dairy farm is being bought by Quebec giant Agropur Co-operative.

Cook's Dairy has been operating for 85 years

Another Nova Scotia dairy farm is being bought by Quebec giant Agropur Co-operative.

Cook's Dairy, the leading milk brand in Southwestern Nova Scotia supplying Shelburne, Yarmouth and Digby counties, has been owned by the Cook family for the last 85 years.

"We have been thinking about the future of Cook's Dairy for a long time and now is the time to sell our dairy," Don Cook said in a statement.

Cook's produces 2.7 million litres of milk a year. Longueuil-based Agropur produces 3.1 billion litres at 27 plants.

The purchase price was not disclosed.

In a release issued Thursday, Agropur said Don and Randy Cook will remain at the dairy.

"We are truly humbled by the strong support our customers have shown us over the years, making Cook's Dairy a household name in Southwest Nova Scotia," said Cook.

The farm employs 32 people directly and services 200 retailers.

Agropur recently completed the purchase of Halifax-based Farmer's Dairy.

Nova Scotia's remaining independent dairy plant is Scotsburn.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul Withers

Reporter

Paul Withers is an award-winning journalist whose career started in the 1970s as a cartoonist. He has been covering Nova Scotia politics for more than 20 years.