Paris | Reuters — Louis Dreyfus Company will build a pea protein production facility in Saskatchewan as it invests in plant-based protein as part of a push to diversify its agricultural commodity activities.
Louis Dreyfus will construct the facility at its existing industrial complex in Yorkton and aims for it to be ready by the end of 2025, the company said in a statement said on Wednesday.
Financial details were not disclosed.
The facility, expected to employ about 60 people, will produce ingredients suited for dairy alternatives, high-protein nutrition solutions and other plant-based applications, drawing on technology developed at an Louis Dreyfus’ research centre in California, it said.
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There’s beginning to be a shift within the Canadian Prairie feed market towards importing United States corn, said Darcy Haley, vice-president of Ag Value Brokers in Lethbridge.
“Pea protein demand continues to grow, due to its non-allergen and non-GMO status, and its sustainability and versatility across many food applications,” Thibaut Ferte, the company’s head of plant proteins, said in the statement.
Other major agrifood firms have also sought to tap into Canada’s large pea production in recent years to develop meat-substitute proteins.
The Yorkton site currently houses an oilseed crushing facility for which the group plans to double capacity, partly to cater for booming use of renewable diesel in North America as a lower-emission road fuel.
–Reporting for Reuters by Gus Trompiz.
