The Canadian Grains Council has formally announced its vision for a new facility in downtown Winnipeg to be branded the Global Agricultural Technology Exchange (Gate).
The national grain value chain organization believes the facility will serve as a hub for Canada’s grain industry and promote the use of Canadian crops around the world.
“GATE will ensure the long-term viability of our world-renowned organization and stimulate new innovation, dialogue and research, while giving us the ability to meet growing demand for wheat, barley and oats and deliver value to our members,” Cereals Canada CEO Dean Dias said in a news release Thursday morning.
The group said its preliminary cost estimate for the new facility is about $100 million.
Cereal Canada, currently located in the Canadian Grain Commission building, said it was “facing the termination of its lease on a building that no longer meets the organization’s current and future goals.”
An in-person launch event scheduled for Thursday, June 27, has been postponed. The group says it will launch a fundraising campaign in the coming months, targeting donations from industry associations, agribusinesses and individuals, as well as support from three levels of government.
“Cereals Canada is committed to growing Canada’s cereal industry,” said board chair Brett Halstead, president of the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Council. “The board strongly supports Cereals Canada, including Gates’ vision.”
The Wheat Growers Association, which is not a member of the Canadian Grains Council, has publicly voiced opposition to farmer money being used to fund the new facility.
The grain value chain organization is also facing internal challenges among its members as several grain companies, including Cargill and Northwest Terminals, have indicated their intention to withdraw from the organization, a process that could take up to two years.
Cereal Canada’s board of directors is meeting in Winnipeg this week in conjunction with the group’s annual general meeting on Thursday.
There’s more to come.
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