O&T Farms says $10M plant expansion will grow grain market in Sask.

Oleet Processing and its parent company O&T Farms announced a $10 million expansion at their plant northwest of Regina. The company says it will translate into new jobs and a bigger grain market for Saskatchewan farmers.

O&T is already Canada’s largest processor of flaxseed, buying 50,000 metric tonnes of flaxseed, canola, pulses and alfalfa each year. The expansion – which will also add a new warehouse, maintenance facility and office – means the plant will have the ability to process an estimated 130,000 metric tonnes annually, which is used in products for animal health and performance, pet food, methane reduction, and omega-3 foods for humans.

READ MORE:

• More challenges for farmers as Unity Grain elevator halts production
• Harvest nears 80 per cent completion, but rain causes delays
• ‘We can’t afford it’: Sask. producers lament grain terminal strikes

According to O&T, 80 per cent of the grain it buys comes from Saskatchewan farms.

“This gives farmers a much-needed larger local market thereby reducing their reliance on exporting raw, unprocessed grain to countries such as China,” the company explained in a statement. “This is important for building a consistent, stable and profitable flax market for prairie farmers.”

“We are confident in doubling our Saskatchewan manufacturing capacity,” Tim Wiens, president of O&T Farms and Oleet Processing. (O&T Farms/Submitted)

The plant currently sustains 262 jobs, the company noted, with about 20 new jobs coming after the expansion, with a tripling of the associated economic activity.

Tim Wiens, president of O&T Farms and Oleet Processing, said the company is seeing global demand increasing.

“We are pioneers and world leaders in producing natural, plant-based Omega-3 fatty acids products that help livestock and consumers alike,” Wiens said in a statement.

“We see demand increasing, and our market expanding, which is why we are confident in doubling our Saskatchewan manufacturing capacity.”