By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Friday May 3, 2024

May 4, 2024 | 11:27 AM

The Little Potato Company celebrated the grand opening of its sustainable potato packaging facility in Nisku, Alta.

The new 240,000 square foot facility showcases technology that revolutionizes the way little potatoes are washed, sorted and packaged with eco-friendly processes that reduces the carbon footprint and waste.

The location was chosen for its proximity to agricultural regions, family growers, efficient transportation networks, and a skilled workforce.

Angela Santiago, CEO and Co-Founder of The Little Potato Company, said with the capacity to process approximately 125 million pounds of little potatoes annually, the facility is poised to set new industry standards.

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Maple Leaf Foods Inc. reported a profit in its latest quarter compared with a loss a year ago as its sales edged lower.

The company said its profit amounted to $51.6 million or 42 cents per share for the quarter ended Mar. 31 compared with a loss of $57.7 million or 48 cents per share a year earlier.

Sales totaled $1.15 billion, down from $1.17 billion in the same quarter last year.

Sales in its prepared foods unit fell 0.4 per cent compared with a year ago, with prepared meat sales up 2.9 per cent offset by a 5.7 per cent drop in plant protein and a 7.1 per cent decline in poultry sales compared with last year.

Pork operating unit sales fell 4.5 per cent compared with the first quarter of 2023.

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The Alberta Ag Plastic Recycle It! program has been extended until December 2025.

Cleanfarms, the non-profit organization operating the program, said Alberta farmers can continue to recycle their grain bags and twine.

This marks the second extension of the program, which launched in October 2019. Since its inception, nearly 3.6 million kilograms of recyclable agricultural plastic has been collected.

Dean Hubbard, a grain farmer near Claresholm, said it makes sense to roll up a few grain bags and take them to a collection site for recycling.

“Especially when I know they’re not going to blow around on my property and they’ll be turned into new things that we can use. Of course I’ll do it, ‘ Hubbard said.

Alberta’s Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation has committed an additional $400,000 in funding and extended the program’s term to the end of 2025.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @farmnewsNOW