Hemp Oil Canada's (HOCI) new facility in Ste. Agathe is nearing completion and on Monday it was announced that the company would be receiving an investment of $390,000 to help offset the cost of new equipment.

The funding will come from the Governments of Canada and Manitoba through Growing Forward 2. The money will be used to offset 50 per cent of the cost of purchasing and installing a new optical sorter and packaging system.

"Manitoba's hemp industry continues to expand, creating new opportunities for farmers, processors and many other stakeholders," said Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) Minister Ron Kostyshyn. "Hemp is a healthy and nutritious choice, and this is driving consumer demand here at home and around the world. We are pleased to invest in this new equipment with HOCI, as it will increase efficiency and support their ongoing commitment to food safety."

Hemp Oil Canada is the largest hemp seed wholesaler in North America with annual sales of more than $25 million. The company employees 30 full time staff and purchases 10 million pounds of hemp from prairie farmers every year.

"Funding from Growing Forward 2 will allow us to take the next leap forward in providing the highest quality hemp food products in the marketplace," said Shaun Crew, president and CEO of HOCI. "We are excited to continuously improve upon our manufacturing processes by adopting these technologies that will lead to industry leading quality assurance and efficiencies in hemp food manufacturing."

Crew said he expects the new facility to be up and running in about a month.