Viterra’s plans to add a farm retail centre at a new elevator it’s building in northern Alberta are now official.
The Regina-based grain handler announced Thursday that it plans to have a “full service” retail centre, fertilizer facility and warehouse up and running next to its new Sexsmith, Alta. elevator this fall.
Viterra, the largest grain company in Canada, announced in September 2008 that a $24 million high-throughput elevator would be built on the CN rail line at Sexsmith. At that time it had expected to be accepting area farmers’ grain by August 2010.
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The company also said in 2008 it had “future plans” to set up an ag input retail facility at the new elevator, but didn’t offer specifics.
The retail centre announced Thursday will include a high-throughput fertilizer plant and 20,000 square foot warehouse. Construction is expected to begin this spring, the company said.
Viterra also announced Thursday that it expects the Sexsmith elevator to be open for business in June, ahead of schedule.
The concrete-and-steel grain elevator project, sited about 25 km north of Grande Prairie, is designed to provide 30,000 tonnes of grain storage capacity and capability to load 104 railcars.
The new retail centre “will enable customers to access Viterra’s full suite of products and services, in addition to grain handling and marketing, at one convenient location,” Doug Wonnacott, Viterra’s senior vice-president for agri-products, said in a release Thursday.
The new centre’s offerings are to include “proprietary seed, fertilizer, crop protection products, ag equipment, financing and agronomic advice.”
