Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers is excited to hear that a new pea-protein manufacturing facility will be built in the Portage area.

On Wednesday, European-based Roquette announced that it would be constructing a $400 million facility in the area.

MPSG Executive Director Francois Labelle says the move will benefit local producers.

“The number one thing for producers is that it gives them another market, a handy, available, local market,” he commented. “They [Roquette] are going to be looking for some good volumes of peas...The important thing is they're going to have to have competitive pricing to other crops, but it's an option for the growers.”

Labelle notes last year there were about 165,000 acres of peas grown in Manitoba.

He expects that number to rise as a result of this new project.