Pork and poultry processor Olymel has terminated discussions over a potential partnership in a large producer-owned beef slaughter plant.

Last week the Quebec-based company walked away from talks with the provincial government and the Federation des producteurs de bovina du Quebec, a group of cattle producers that owns the Levinoff-Colbex beef plant 35 miles northeast of company headquarters in St.-Hyacinthe, Quebec.

Olymel had been in discussions with the producers' organization for a year, spokesman Richard Vigneault told Meatingplace. “It was a business decision,” he said. “The conditions we were looking for were not on the table.” He declined to provide details of those conditions.

“We had been analyzing every aspect of this and decided it was better for Olymel to step out,” he said.

The company employs 10,000 in nearly 20 pork and poultry plants across Canada.