Three state-of-the-art steel elevators opened the week before Christmas. ConAgra Canada’s latest facilities began accepting grain at Corrine, Nokomis and Yorkton, Sask.
But after several false starts and cancelled grand openings, the largest of these facilities at Corrine has left a few unanswered questions and unpaid bills.
Local farmer co-op members at Wilcox, Sask. are shouldering a $3,000 unpaid bill for fuel used to build the facility. A local lumberyard is owed $3,400 and a Regina crane company more than $4,000. There are 25 unpaid accounts totaling $2,683,817 in liens against the facility on a Nov. 26, 1997 land title. The majority of these unpaid bills are related to a Winnipeg-based company, Universal Grain Systems, which has closed its doors and disconnected its telephones. Officials from Universal were unavailable for comment.
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“There were some problems with that contractor, but we hope we’re going to be able to clear this up very soon,” said ConAgra Canada president Mayo Schmidt.
ConAgra plans to use the three Saskatchewan facilities and a planned fourth near Brandon, Man. to secure a source of grain for its milling, crushing and food processing operations located in the United States, said Schmidt.
The grain facilities will also house feed, fertilizer and crop production stores, also ConAgra-owned, known as Cropmate and based in Eastern Canada. Agronomic services and marketing clubs will be provided through the ConAgra elevators.
