Parrish and Heimbecker secures C$10m in funding from Canadian Government

Grain procurement and merchandising company Parrish and Heimbecker has secured C$10m ($7.4m) in funding from the Canadian Government to construct a new wheat flour milling plant in Hamilton.

The government funding will help the company to increase its production capacity as well as expand export markets, while enhancing food safety and traceability of its products.

Hamilton East - Stoney Creek parliament member Bob Bratina said: "This project adds to our remarkable agricultural sector and provides the kind of development‎ cities require for sustainable, recession-proof economies.

"Parrish and Heimbecker have proven to be great partners in promoting the growth of the sector and our employment base."

Parrish and Heimbecker president and COO Derek Jamieson said: "Parrish & Heimbecker has been part of the Canadian agriculture and food community for over 100 years and we value the partnerships we have developed over that time.

"This investment through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's AgriInnovation Fund supports P&H Milling Group's ongoing commitment to food safety, innovation, productivity and quality."

The investment will support the federal government's goal of creating food processing jobs by making key investments that add value to Canadian agricultural sector.

The new flour mill will have a built-in traceability feature that will help in identifying specific product batches in the event of a product recall.

It will also feature the latest technology in wheat cleaning process to improve food safety by removing impurities before milling.

Winnipeg-based Parrish and Heimbecker is claimed to be the second largest flour miller in terms of milling capacity in Canada, and with the construction of the new plant, the company is expected to buy more wheat from producers, and create 16 full-time jobs.