Louis Dreyfus Company will build a pea protein production facility in Saskatchewan as it invests in plant-based protein as part of a push to diversify its agricultural commodity activities.
Louis Dreyfus plans pea protein plant in Sask
Company also plans to double oilseed crushing capacity at Yorkton site
Researchers want producers to plant more peas
Four-year project attempts to eliminate barriers to growing the crop
Reading Time: 3 minutes Peas are a powerhouse. Not only do they sport a low carbon footprint and contain a high amount of protein, they come with their own nitrogen. So why aren’t more producers planting them? The biggest reason is the risk of root rot, a disease of peas that can infect the soil for years. But what […] Read more
Plant protein processor Merit Foods in receivership
Company owes $95 million to EDC, FCC
The company behind a new Prairie processing plant extracting plant-based proteins from peas and canola has landed in receivership, in the high eight figures’ debt to its secured lenders. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on Wednesday announced it’s the receiver for both Merit Functional Foods Corp. and the numbered company that owns Merit’s processing plant and property in […] Read more
Good things come in threes as Alberta adds another pulse plant
New $225-million facility in Strathmore will be a major buyer of peas, venture's founder says
Reading Time: 3 minutes Another pulse processing facility is coming to Alberta, this time in the town of Strathmore. And the $225-million fractionation plant is going to need a lot of yellow peas from area producers — 40,000 tonnes annually, said Chris Theal, a Calgary oil patch veteran who founded Phyto Organix, and is the privately-held company’s CEO and […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Pea protein in demand despite falling yields
MarketsFarm — Very few crops took more of a hit during the drought-stricken summer of 2021 than dry peas. Meanwhile, firm international demand and tightening stocks will raise pea prices even higher. According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) latest field crop estimates released Friday, pea production dropped 45 per cent at 2.527 million tonnes […] Read more
Plant-based protein maker Roquette sees short-term COVID-19 impact
Demand could accelerate second Canadian plant
Paris | Reuters — The plant-based protein market has seen a slowdown in new product launches and lower sales in restaurants and cafeterias due to COVID-19 but benefited from more people cooking at home and trying new products, French manufacturer Roquette said. The market for plant-based protein such as meat-free burgers has surged in the […] Read more
Bunge buys into canola, pea protein maker Merit
Agribusiness giant takes quarter stake in processor
One of the world’s biggest grain companies is getting in on a processing facility under construction in Winnipeg to extract plant-based proteins from canola and peas. Winnipeg-based Merit Functional Foods announced Thursday it has received a $30 million “capital investment” from Bunge, giving the U.S. grain firm a “minority interest” worth 25 per cent. Burcon […] Read more
Nestle launching pea-based vegan alternative to tuna
'Vuna' going first to Swiss supermarkets
Zurich | Reuters — Food giant Nestle is launching a new plant-based tuna alternative in Switzerland this month ahead of a global rollout, hoping that consumers eating at home during the COVID-19 pandemic will stay eager to try new products. Known for Maggi soups and bouillon cubes, Nestle has been investing in plant-based food to […] Read more
Plant protein processor backed for expansion
Lenders arrange up to $85 million for Merit Functional Foods
The money has been lined up to fund a major expansion for a Winnipeg pea and canola protein processing plant that’s still being built. Merit Functional Foods Corp. announced May 4 it has secured a debt financing package of up to $85 million from “a syndicate of lenders” including Export Development Canada, Farm Credit Canada […] Read more
Cargill to enter faux-meat market
Major processor/packer expanding plant-based protein product line
U.S. agrifood giant Cargill is set to bring its crop supply chain further into its proteins business via a new line of plant-based patty and ground products for the retail and foodservice sectors. Already a major player in meat protein, with assets including two major Canadian packing plants processing up to 6,000 head of cattle […] Read more
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