CANADA – Canada’s largest grain handler, Viterra has opened a new high throughput grain facility at Vegreville in Alberta, Canada.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Viterra customers, employees and government officials, reinforcing the company’s commitment to invest in northwest Alberta.

 The facility has a storage capacity of 34,000 tonnes and is capable of loading up to 126 railcars through a loop track.

“We take great care to evaluate our footprint and make the targeted investments necessary to support our industry today and well into the future,” said Kyle Jeworski, Viterra’s President and CEO for North America.

“Our new location at Grimshaw is an excellent fit for Viterra, one that will provide local customers with the high level of service and quality products they expect from us and reinforces our commitment to driving excellence in Canada’s supply chain.”

The facility is the company’s second new build in the region in recent years, having opened a state-of-the-art terminal at Sexsmith in 2010.

The Sexsmith facility offers 30,000 tonnes of grain storage and 104 railcar loading capacity.

The facility also features a full-service retail centre on the site, offering a host of products and services to area customers, including proprietary seed, fertilizer, crop protection products, equipment, financing and agronomic advice.

“We’re pleased to be expanding our presence in this area of the province through this state-of-the-art addition to our asset network,” said Dean McQueen, Viterra’s vice-president, Merchandising and Transportation.

“As an industry leader, we’ve invested millions of dollars in Alberta over the last few years to support our focus on operational excellence and provide our farm customers with exceptional service.”

In February, Viterra signed a purchase agreement to acquire General Mills’ 50% ownership stake in a grain facility located at Northgate, North Dakota, U.S.  Previously, Viterra held a 50% stake through a joint venture agreement with General Mills.

According to 2019 Grain & Milling Annual, Viterra has 84 grain storage facilities and a total licensed grain storage capacity of 118.1 million tonnes.