Major Pea Protein Production Plant Coming to Saskatchewan

Released on February 7, 2024

Louis Dreyfus Company’s New Facility is Expected in 2025

Today, the Government of Saskatchewan welcomed Louis Dreyfus Company’s (LDC) announcement of a new pea protein isolate production plant at the site of its existing industrial complex in Yorkton.

“Louis Dreyfus Company’s newest investment shows how Saskatchewan continues to be the best place to invest and do business,” Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison said. “As we work to create even more opportunities and jobs, we are fortunate to have a strong partnership with LDC. Today’s announcement takes us one step closer to achieving our goal of processing 50 per cent of the pulse crops produced in Saskatchewan. This announcement is great news for the Yorkton community and pulse growers across the province.”

The plant’s expected completion date is the end of 2025 and, once operational, LDC anticipates that it will employ approximately 60 people. This new facility will expand and accelerate LDC’s existing pea protein isolate and non-GMO soy isolate offerings, while delivering highly functional, taste-neutral and nutritious ingredients to customers.

This new facility, paired with other recent pulse processing announcements, puts the province on track to meet its pulse processing goal from Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan.

"Canada is a key market for LDC, supporting our strategic growth plans in the region and beyond, and this is reflected in the continued expansion of our origination and processing operations and activities in Saskatchewan, and Yorkton in particular,” LDC’s Country Manager for Canada Brian Conn said.

In addition to helping achieve the pulse crop processing goal, the expansion puts the province closer to meeting several other key goals outlined in Saskatchewan's Growth Plan, including: 

• Grow private capital investment in Saskatchewan to $16 billion annually;
• Increase the value of exports by 50 per cent;
• Grow Saskatchewan's agri-food exports to $20 billion; and
• Increase agriculture value-added revenue to $10 billion.

Saskatchewan’s pulse production averages approximately four million tonnes annually, accounting for approximately 90 per cent of Canadian lentil exports and roughly 80 per cent of Canada’s pea exports. Crop rotations using nitrogen-fixing pulses contribute to making Saskatchewan’s carbon footprint for crop production significantly lower than the global weighted average among comparable jurisdictions.

In 2022, Saskatchewan’s agriculture industry posted a third consecutive year of record agri-food exports, with a total value of $18.5 billion. Dry peas and pea proteins accounted for 6.5 per cent of that total, valued at $1.1 billion.

Construction of the new plant is expected to begin later this year.

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