Yorkton is expected to see 140 new jobs added by the end of the year, thanks to an expansion to the Louis Dreyfus Company’s (LDC) processing facility. The official opening was announced Thursday at LDC’s Yorkton facility by company representatives alongside Agriculture Minister David Marit and Tom Rosser, assistant deputy minister for agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “Three years ago when we did the sod turning for this facility, I had the honour to serve as the minister of agriculture and then I said, ‘I’m hoping I’m still in the role when they do the ribbon cutting’, so I’m very fortunate to [still] be in this role as well,” Marit said in his speech. According to the province, the company’s expanded complex now houses a new pea protein production plant, while the current existing canola processing site was extended to more than double its crushing capacity to the tune of over two million metric tons. “What it means to a farmer obviously is going to be a higher value for their product when they can deliver it right to the crush facility,” Marit said. The new pea protein production facility is now one of the largest in North America. “We now deal with over 5,500 producers in our local draw in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and [they] have been really critical to our success. The location has also been very good from a demand standpoint in being able to ship to many points within North America, whether it be in the US West Coast or East Coast,” said Brian Conn, LDC’s Country Manager for Canada. The facility is expected to employ a total of 260 people by the end of the year, according to a Thursday news release. This includes 140 new jobs to the site, which has been operating since 2009. “Which means a lot of things: it means selling homes, it means selling vehicles, it means people moving here and the opportunity to advance their careers and make a good living here as well,” Minister Marit said. Beyond providing employment, LDC has been an active part of Yorkton’s community. Conn said his company has been in discussion with the city about addressing the current infrastructural challenges Yorkton is facing due to growth and aging. “We’ve had plenty of discussions with the city in the R.M. on a lot of infrastructure issues, and we continue to discuss to see how we can contribute or how we can work with them in various areas,” Conn said, adding they haven’t arrived at a conclusion at this stage. Yorkton Mayor Aaron Kienle welcomed the expansion. “This is a huge day for LDC, but it’s a huge day for all of Yorkton,” Kienle said in his speech. “LDC has been a part of Yorkton since 2009, and this expansion shows the continued confidence in our community, our region and in our collective future.” According to the province, the expansion will contribute to the province’s agri-food exports, which reached $18 billion in 2025. “This massive investment in Saskatchewan will not only bring more jobs and opportunities to the region, but it will also provide a convenient and profitable outlet for Saskatchewan’s agricultural producers to sell their commodities,” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said. The expansion of the facility will ensure agricultural producers have reliable outlet to sell their crops, the province noted.
