CWB Elevator Construction Progressing

Canada’s CWB, formerly known as Canada Wheat Board, is making headway in the construction of its state-of-the-art grain elevator outside of St. Adolphe, Manitoba.

The new elevator, which will be on the Canadian National Railway mainline, giving CWB access to points in eastern Canada, the U.S., and the West Coast, will be flood-protected – surrounded by a berm rising two feet above the level of the historic 1997 flood. It will boast of 34,000 tons of storage, a 134-car loop track, and cleaning facilities.

In a prepared statement, CWB chief executive and president, Ian White stated, “The St. Adolphe and Red River Valley area is an important market for CWB.” “ It’s an area we felt was essential to invest in, given it is one of the highest-producing areas in Western Canada, and it further complements our growing network of assets across the country.”

This elevator, which is on schedule to begin receiving grain in March 2016, is currently one of four new elevators being built for CWB – the others being in Colonsay and Pasqua, Saskatchewan, and Bloom, Manitoba.

CWB has been in the process of privatizing since losing its marketing monopoly in 2012, and has since been relying on grain-handling facilities owned by its competitors such as Cargill, Richardson International, and Viterra. However, this past spring, the newly formed joint venture, G3 Global Grain Group formed between Bunge Canada and SALIC Canada, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Co., has invested $250 million to acquire a 51% stake in CWB.