PROSPERITY COMES IN PEAS Future looks bright for Portage agri-business
BY GEOFF KIRBYSON
T he largest capital project in Portage la Prairie’s history has only just broken ground and already city officials are working on a follow-up act. European food manufacturing giant Roquette has started preliminary work on its $400-million pea protein processing plant, a facility that will provide 150 full-time jobs once it’s up and running in 2019 and another 250 during the construction phase. Vern May, economic development officer for Portage Regional Economic Development, wants to grow the city’s reputation as an agri-food hub. McCain Foods Canada and Simplot Canada have well-established potato processing plants in the city of 13,000, employing 350 and 150 respectively, while Nutri-Pea Ltd. also runs a small processing plant in the pea sector.
“(Roquette’s) investment is getting a lot of attention locally and internationally. It puts us in a better position to attract more industry like that,” May says. And that work is already under way. May’s team is already rolling up its sleeves with Manitoba Agriculture on both domestic and foreign direct investment opportunities. Preston Meier, president of the Portage & District Chamber of Commerce, says when a private company decides to invest $400 million in your community, the potential for spinoffs is off the charts. “We don’t know what they’re going to be yet but this adds to the positivity we have going on. We can’t find a downside,” he says with a laugh. Indeed, the company’s payroll and operations will provide a much-needed boost to the shared tax base of
Portage la Prairie and the municipality. One under-appreciated benefit is the “secondary” workforce that will accompany the plant opening, Meier says. “When you bring a family in to town, that’s typically the major wage earner, plus they bring spouses and kids, too. Every small community is always looking for employees in restaurants and retail stores.” So, what’s the big deal about peas, anyway? Demand for plant proteins is growing due to increased health consciousness, consumer concerns and sustainability. Pea protein’s production is environmentally friendly, and it has numerous applications in gluten-free, vegetarian, sports and
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