With its project to develop a new $90 million grain transfer terminal, La Coop fédérée will extend the value chain of Canadian agriculture to the European and Asian markets.
The new terminal at Anse au Foulon will enable the annual export of 1.3 million metric tons of grain valued at $450 million.
The Agri-business Division of La Coop fédérée already has solid experience in the management, transportation, and marketing of grain. This terminal project will consolidate its activities in the Port of Québec, specifically in the area of Anse au Foulon, where it has operated, for almost 30 years, a grain distribution center that is also used for warehousing local harvests.
“Our mission is to support local farmers by offering, in particular, structured opportunities for their production," explains Sébastien Léveillé, Executive Vice President of Agri-business at La Coop fédérée. "We know that this new terminal will be a driver of prosperity for Canadian farming families because it will increase storage capacity and open up new export markets."
Canadian grain, especially from Québec and Ontario, benefits from the strategic advantage of the St. Lawrence Seaway, with shipping being the most economical means of transportation. The Seaway also provides supply to the Great Lakes region.
Pier 106 of the Port of Québec, in the area of Anse au Foulon, is strategically located to allow both easy access by producers and the reception of ships. It is also the most westerly point in the St. Lawrence Seaway, where shipping, rail, and road access coexist.
“With a new export terminal, Canadian grain producers know that there will be an even more promising return on their investment in equipment and acreage," says Sébastien Léveillé. "This major investment is therefore a structuring move for the entire Canadian agricultural industry."
It should be noted that the Québec government and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ are partners in the La Coop fédérée terminal project.
Once the project is approved by the Québec Port Authority, development work can begin.