Altona oat processor Buffalo Creek Mills is expanding its capacity and technology to make inroads into emerging oat markets such as dairy alternatives.
The expansion will also add nearly 20 jobs at the facility said CEO Ryan Penner, and it will increase the plant’s capacity to 54,000 metric tons per year.
Ryan Penner and Buffalo Creek president Melvin Penner joined Winnipeg South MP Terry Duguid to make the online announcement Dec. 13.
Read Also
Canada needs presence to break into Asia-Pacific trade: speakers
Canada wants trade in southeast Asia, but experts say more focus, commitment and consistent presence in the ASEAN region is needed.
The expansion is possible because of $5.1 million federal loan through the AgriInnovate program, which provides “repayable contributions” for projects to commercialize or adopt new technology in agri-food says a federal news release.
Installation of a custom kiln is underway at the plant as the first phase of the project and should be finished in January, said Ryan Penner. It will allow the company to precisely apply heat or steam to toast or cook oats to develop profiles, which he said can be quite specific for products.
While the technology isn’t new, the way Buffalo Creek Mills will apply it is the first of its kind in Canada said Ryan Penner. It will allow them to produce oat flakes and stabilized groats.
Plant-based alternative foods are creating new markets for oats, he said, particularly in oat beverages and dairy alternatives.
“We anticipate that our products will be able to connect up with these manufacturers for the production of these kinds of new and emerging oat products,” said Ryan Penner.
Buffalo Creek Mills produces food-grade and pet-food-grade oat products including groats, flakes, flour and pellets its website says.
Byproducts are repurposed for animal feed and biofuels, the news release said.
“We grow these products here. Now we can process these products here, and will enable us to market these products worldwide,” said Melvin Penner.
