U.S. agrifood giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) plans to “significantly decrease” farmers’ delivery unloading times with receiving capacity expansions at its Lloydminster, Alta. canola crushing plant.
ADM’s project is to include a second unloading bay and a doubling of grading capacity, the company said in a release Wednesday.
The Illinois-based multinational said its decision follows a recent survey of area farmers, which the company said “indicated that farmers were concerned about the amount of time they spent waiting to unload.”
“We work closely with area farmers and rely on them for the crops we process,” J.P. Montalvo, the Lloydminster facility’s commercial manager, said in the company’s release. “The receiving capacity expansion is one way we can help producers as we strive to be the destination of choice for their canola crop.”
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ADM’s Agri-Industries division, which oversees the crush plant, is also “evaluating additional capital projects,” the company said.
Those include a proposal for a 265 million-litre per year biodiesel facility, which ADM has been studying since April last year as a possible joint venture with Vancouver-based Canadian Bioenergy.
Other possible projects could include further expansions of the plant’s storage and receiving capacity and its railcar shipping capacity, ADM said.
According to ADM, much of its Lloydminster plant’s oil output is destined for export to Asia for food applications, and to Europe for use as biodiesel feedstock. Its canola meal byproduct is “used principally for livestock feed.”
The company announced plans in late 2006 to expand processing capacity at its Lloydminster and Velva, N.D. canola plants, though it didn’t say by how much or whether a biodiesel plant at Lloydminster would require any further expansion. The Velva plant already includes a 320 million-litre per year biodiesel facility.
Apart from its deliveries from area growers, the Lloydminster plant sources canola from ADM elevators at Carberry, Man., about 50 km east of Brandon, and at Watson, Sask., about 40 km east of Humboldt.
ADM’s other oilseed crushing plant is at Windsor, Ont., processing soybeans and canola for food ingredients and animal feeds.
