By Alice McFarlane

Louis Dreyfus company expands canola crush capacity in Saskatchewan

Apr 12, 2023 | 11:19 AM

The further expansion of a canola facility in Saskatchewan will move the province even closer to its 2030 Growth Plan goal of crushing 75 per cent of the canola produced in the province.

Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) announced it will double processing at its Yorkton plant to accommodate an annual crush exceeding two million metric tonnes.

Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission Executive Director Tracy Broughton was happy to hear the news.

“I think any opportunities to be able to deliver to a processing facility here in Saskatchewan is good news for canola farmers,” Broughton said. “We are an export driven crop so just having that domestic market to deliver to helps to be resilient against any trade issues that may come down.”

Eastern Saskatchewan will be well-covered for canola crush capacity, now that both canola processing facilities in Yorkton will be doubling their production.

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Broughton said the announcement demonstrates how strong the canola market has become.

“We understand the food market is fairly stable for canola oil and any increased demand will go into the biofuel market. We’re seeing that with all the new announcements that have been made by companies for production facilities in in Saskatchewan. A lot of that increased growth will be destined for the biofuel market,” Broughton said.

Two other canola crushing plants are undergoing expansion. This includes Cargill’s plant at Clavet and Richardson’s in Yorkton.

Viterra and Cargill are also building new canola processing facilities near Regina area with a scheduled completion due next year.

There is also substantial economic spinoff generated by employment at canola crushing facilities. LDC has operated its canola crush facility in Yorkton since 2009, employing about 120 people, in the production of food grade canola oil and canola meal.

Yorkton Mayor Mitch Hippsley said he was pleased to learn the company expects to hire over 80 new employees to help run their expanded facility.

“We’re thrilled to be quite honest with you. We learned about this about a year ago when LDC purchased land from the city with no details at that time,” Hippsley said. “It’s going to be an incredible amount of development, and jobs of course, and full-time jobs once that plant is expanded.”

Construction will begin later this year, but the company did not set a timeline for completion.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW