KENSINGTON, P.E.I – Thanks to $6-million dollars of funding from the federal and provincial governments, a bio-refinery is set to be built in P.E.I.
The plant, which will create 19 new jobs and bring in around $5.4 million in farm receipts, will be operated by U.S.-based company Nature’s Crops International. It is expected that the facility will provide local farmers with new opportunities for rotating crops while also allowing them to introduce their products to the growing global markets for new food manufacturing as well as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
“Farmers want to make their money from the marketplace with innovative and sustainable crops,” said Gail Shea, minister of Fisheries and Oceans, who made the announcement on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Keith Ashfield. “Our government is making smart investments for a bio-refinery that will boost the local economy and give farmers a market for profitable new crops.”
Andrew Hebard, president and CEO of Nature’s Crops International, explained the decision to choose Kensington as the plant’s home. “P.E.I. offers us the competitive advantage of the right climate, good growers, the right quality of product and a great talent pool to draw on for a growing business,” he said, adding that the company is “building a plant that will process 20,000 to 30,000 acres of new crop alternatives on P.E.I. and generate premium prices for our growers.”
