The inauguration of a new $16-million feedmill is evidence that Agricore United is committed to the future of the feed industry, according to company officials.

The state-of-the-art Unifeed plant, located just east of Edmonton in Sherwood Park, will produce 150,000 metric tonnes of livestock feed annually with the potential to expand production to 200,000 tonnes per year. The mill replaces a nearby Edmonton plant that was built in 1975 and topped out at a capacity of 80,000 tonnes each year.

About three kilometres east of the old mill, the new facility joins Agricore United’s Alberta network of feedmills including an Olds operation opened in May 2000 and an older but significantly expanded and upgraded mill in Lethhbridge. Meanwhile, the company purchased Red Deer’s Vertech Feeds this past February.

“With this newest mill, we have the three highest-capacity and most flexible feedmills in Alberta,” said William McGill, vice-president of Agricore United’s livestock services division.

photo/submitted
New feedmill will help meet north-central Alberta demand.

“We have a long-term view of agriculture and we believe in operating facilities that are efficient and capable of meeting the evolving regulatory environment. This is a significant step, which allows us to continue in the business in the north-central Alberta market as opposed to just shutting down.”

The Sherwood Park plant features a technologically advanced design, with all mill operations computer-controlled to ensure consistent and precise product quality. It represents the company’s largest feed-related investment to date.

“We have great confidence in the future of the livestock, poultry and dairy sectors and the long-term profitability of producers,” said McGill. “Our ability to tailor feed mixes to our customer needs is further enhanced by the technologies we have implemented here in Edmonton and at our other feedmills across Alberta,” said McGill. “The sophistication of the technology and nutritional expertise within Unifeed is setting the standard in the feed industry.”

The new mill delivers both bagged and bulk feeds and covers a full spectrum of feed needs: Beef and dairy, hog, poultry and horse, along with specialty feeds for elk and llama.

Situated on 10 acres of land, the plant began operations in May when the old site shut down. All of the facility’s 35 employees were transferred to the new mill.

Unifeed Ltd. manufactures a variety of livestock feed under the trade names Unifeed, ProForm, Vertech and Hart at eight mills and two pre-mix manufacturing plants across Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba.

(Laura Severs can be reached at laura@businessedge.ca)