YORKTON — Louis Dreyfus Company has officially opened its expanded Yorkton processing complex, a project expected to add 140 jobs and significantly increase the region's capacity to process canola and peas.
The expansion includes a new pea protein production facility and a major increase in canola crushing capacity at the company's Yorkton site, which has operated since 2009.
Company executives, municipal leaders and provincial and federal officials gathered Wednesday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of the project.
By the end of 2026, the complex is expected to employ about 260 people.
Value-added agriculture
Tom Rosser, assistant deputy minister of market and industry services with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, said the investment reflects a broader evolution occurring throughout Saskatchewan's agricultural sector.
The province has long exported grains and oilseeds, he said, but increasingly is building processing capacity that adds value closer to where crops are produced.
"As someone who doesn't live in the province, but has the opportunity to visit usually a couple times a year, I just see that ecosystem growing with every passing year," Rosser said.
He said major processing facilities can have a significant impact on agricultural exports and described the investment as particularly notable because LDC had opportunities to invest elsewhere in the world.
"We welcome investment in the agri-food sector from almost wherever it comes from," he said. "But it's particularly significant when it's a multinational company like LDC, where they have investment opportunities all over the world … and they chose to invest that quantum of capital here."
Benefits for farmers and the region
Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said additional processing capacity creates more marketing opportunities for producers and can help improve returns for crops grown in the region.
"What it means to a farmer, obviously, is going to be a higher value for their product when they can deliver it right to the crush facility," Marit said.
Marit said the project's impact extends beyond agriculture because new jobs can help attract workers and their families to the area.
"It means selling homes, it means selling vehicles, it means people moving here and the opportunity to advance their careers and make a good living here as well," he said.
Largest project in company history
LDC chief executive officer Michael Gelchie said the Yorkton development represents the largest capital project in the company's history.
The expansion more than doubles canola crushing capacity at the site to more than two million tonnes annually. The new pea protein facility, which Gelchie described as the largest of its kind in North America, is capable of processing up to 75,000 tonnes of peas each year into protein powder, fibre and starch.
"We're inaugurating two additions to our industrial complex which represent really the largest capital project in our company's history," Gelchie said.
He said the projects will allow the company to serve food, feed and renewable fuel markets while expanding its ingredients business.
"Yorkton represents the future of LDC," Gelchie said.
Brian Conn, LDC's country head for Canada, said the company considered other locations before deciding to expand in Yorkton.
"We kept coming back to Yorkton because it was the ideal fit for what we wanted to do," he said.
Conn cited strong crop production, transportation infrastructure and long-standing relationships with producers as key factors in the decision.
The company says it works with more than 5,500 producers across Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Conn said the Yorkton complex has become LDC's largest single-site investment globally by enterprise value.
"As a diversified company, we have a lot of choices in terms of where we invest, but we chose to invest in Yorkton for many, many reasons," he said.
Growth brings infrastructure questions
The expected influx of workers has also drawn attention to infrastructure constraints in Yorkton, where officials have said upgrades to housing, water and wastewater systems will be needed to accommodate future growth.
Asked whether LDC would help address needs such as housing, water and wastewater capacity, Conn said the company has been discussing infrastructure challenges with the City of Yorkton and the surrounding rural municipality.
"We've had plenty of discussions with the city and the RM on a lot of infrastructure issues," Conn said.
"We continue to discuss to see how we can contribute or how we can work with them in various areas."
Conn said no decisions have been made and discussions remain ongoing.
Mayor Aaron Kienle said the investment strengthens Yorkton's position as a centre for value-added agriculture and regional economic activity.
"It shows that Yorkton can be home to major investment with national and international reach," Kienle said.
