Three prairie grain handlers have announced significant investments in their grain handling infrastructure in the last two days.
Cargill says work is going to begin within the next month on expanding the company's elevator at Morris. The expansion will increase grain storage by 20 thousand metric tonnes for a total of 30 thousand. Rail car capacity will also be nearly doubled from 54 to 100.
"The decision to expand our Morris location was driven by our customers’ needs. Physical assets are part of the solution. But, we believe we can be the best partner for our customers when we go a step further by providing solutions that help them meet their personal and business goals," said Cargill president Jeff Vassart in a company statement.
It's expected Cargill will be hiring more employees at Morris, but the company says it not yet confirmed how many positions will be required. Construction is supposed to be complete for the 2015 harvest.
CWB has also announced another investment in its ability to source grain, with plans for a new 42 thousand metric tonne elevator to be built near Colonsay, Saskatchewan - about 65 kilometers east of Saskatoon.
The news comes just over two weeks after the former Canadian Wheat Board announced it's also building a new high-throughput grain elevator at Bloom, just west of Portage.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the grain supply chain, Viterra has announced it's investing more than $100 million in improvements to its Pacific Terminal in Vancouver.
"Our goal is to create the most efficient port terminal in Canada with unprecedented capability for processing a diverse range of commodities. This is a significant investment spanning several projects, that when completed, will enhance our strategic position on the west coast, and our ability to continue meeting the needs of our destination customers globally," said Viterra president and CEO Kyle Jeworski.
The largest project planned for the port terminal is the installation of a new ship loader system that will increase shipping capacity and allow for the loading of "post-Panamax" vessels. The company says the upgrades will increase the terminal's capacity to 6 million metric tonnes annually. It is anticipated that all of these initiatives will be completed by 2016 and result in a rated capacity up to 6 million metric tonnes annually.
Source: PortageOnline