Company says it expects to develop a variety selection process to assist growers.
Canada’s organic pulse growers will now have the option of contracting organic yellow peas with Roquette, the plant-based ingredient manufacturer has announced. Conventional and organic yellow pea contracts are now available for the 2021 season.
“Roquette is excited to work with Canada’s organic pulse growers as we expand our popular NUTRALYS plant protein line to offer organic pea protein,” said Dominique Baumann, CEO for Roquette in Canada.
Baumann added: “Adding organic yellow pea protein to our NUTRALYS plant protein product line means Roquette can continue to help our customers move their innovative products to market faster in response to North America’s rapidly growing demand for new, healthy, plant-based foods.”
The ability of pulse growers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to meet Roquette’s required capacity for yellow peas was an important factor in the group’s decision to locate its new, 200,000 square-foot pea protein plant in Portage la Prairie, Man.
“Response to Roquette’s first round of contracts in Canada for conventional yellow peas was very positive and the feedback we’ve received from growers who signed with us is that they are eager to re-sign for 2021 and beyond,” says Glen Last, grain buyer for Roquette in Canada. “Our goal is to build strong, long-term relationships with growers who contract with us. Their success is our success.”
With an investment of more than $600 million of its own funds for the construction of the Portage pea protein plant, Roquette is a major player in Canada’s growing plant protein ecosystem.
The plant, the largest of its kind in the world, will start operations at the end of 2020 and at capacity, will process 125,000MT of yellow peas annually.
Roquette is looking for high-protein organic peas, something it intends to work with growers and the seed industry in order to acquire.
“The direction we’re going has attracted great interest from the seed industry. We are naturally always trying to improve varieties and help growers select varieties that suit them better and that suit us better. We’re looking for varieties that benefit all parties,” said Glen Last, country category specialist for Roquette.
“We are a protein-based facility so we are looking for high levels of protein, but we also want the growers to be able to maintain high yields. There will be a variety selection process, but at this time we will not be starting with a preferred variety in our organic program.”
