Fourteen Saskatchewan agricultural companies will share $6.3 million in federal and provincial funding to increase their productivity, competitiveness and efficiency.
The government money is available over two years through the Saskatchewan Lean Improvements in Manufacturing program under the Growing Forward 2 framework. This is a new program to help value-added processors adopt best practices and technologies that improve their businesses.
The companies themselves will also contribute $25.5 million to their projects.
The companies include Drake Meat Processors, Simpson Seeds Inc., Northern Natural Processing LP, Harvest Meats, Western Prime Meat Processors, Avena Foods, InfraReady Products Ltd., North West Bio-Energy Ltd., Louis Dreyfus, Wood Bros. Apiairies, NorAmera BioEnergy Corp., Thunder Creek Pork, Northern Quinoa Corp. and Cargill Ltd.
Most are making improvements to processing lines and adding equipment and new technology. Louis Dreyfus and Cargill are both implementing their projects at their canola crushing plants at Yorkton and Clavet, respectively.
InfraReady Products president Mark Pickard said the program would help that company “identify inefficiencies, implement process changes, purchase new equipment and create process improvements that lets us increase capacity and be more competitive.”
