The largest agricultural cooperative in the country, the Quebec Sollio Cooperative Group, plans to build a grain and fertilizer processing site about twenty kilometers from the Port of Quebec, where it has recently overseen a new marine grain terminal.
“We actually bought land in the municipality [de Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon] confirms Céline Boisvert, vice-president of communications at Avantis Cooperative, a member of Sollio.
According to documents seen by The dutythe group spent $900,000 at the end of April to buy land of more than 28,000 m2 which until then belonged to the grain broker ComAgro. At the same time as this acquisition, Avantis Cooperative has taken steps with the Government of Quebec to build a processing site there.
Regarding the exact nature of the facilities, “there are several scenarios envisaged; they are currently under study. We are not in a position to give more information at this stage,” said Ms.me Green wood. “The interest in this land comes from the fact that it is located in an area where Avantis is present. We always aim to improve our facilities, to do better, ”she simply says.
The cooperative also hopes to receive a loan of five million dollars from Investissement Québec in order to settle on the recently acquired site, can we read in an approach registered with the Registry of Lobbyists.
The grain trade
Avantis Cooperative is part of Sollio Cooperative Group. The organization recently intensified its trade in grains and other agricultural inputs thanks to its new maritime terminal located in the Anse au Foulon sector of the Port of Québec. The former Coop fédérée signed a lease in 2019 which ensures that it will be able to hold its activities there for at least 20 years.
According to initial forecasts, the terminal inaugurated in May 2021 was to allow the transshipment of one million tonnes of grain and cereals to new international markets. However, this quantity could reach 1.3 million tonnes this year, which would represent nearly $600 million in revenue for local grain producers.
With 123,000 members, Sollio is the largest agricultural cooperative in Canada. Its turnover exceeds eight billion dollars.