WINNIPEG – Monsanto Canada Inc. has started manufacturing a new dry form of the herbicide Roundup in Morden, Man.
Most of the production from the new $5.1 million facility will be exported to markets in Central and South America and Asia, president Ian Lennox told a press conference.
A dry form of Roundup can be more easily packaged, transported and handled in newly emerging markets, he said. While some sales are expected in Western Canada, Lennox said the bulk of demand in this country will continue to be for the liquid form.
Read Also
Agriculture ministers agree to AgriStability changes
federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
Lennox said the southern Manitoba community of 5,500 won a worldwide competition and was chosen over 50 sites considered for the plant within Canada.
He cited the province’s business climate, the relative cost of skilled labor, its transportation links and the enthusiasm of the local community as reasons why Morden was chosen. “This is a great place to be,” he said.
The Morden plant will employ about 20 people and is expected to generate an estimated $50 million in export sales annually. Nine of the 11 people employed are from the Morden area.
The plant is designed as a “zero-emission” facility, which means it should have no impact on the surrounding environment, company officials said.
Monsanto Co., headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., employs over 30,000 people in 100 countries. Its annual sales are $8 billion. Its Canadian subsidiaries, Monsanto Canada Inc., Searle Canada Inc. and the NutraSweet Co., had sales in excess of $450 million last year.
