Vanguard Crop Nutrition Inc. (VCN), a Canadian producer of specialty fertilizer, confirmed on June 14 that it has begun construction on a compound fertilizer manufacturing facility in Maitland, Ont. The manufacturing site is located near the St. Lawrence Seaway, Highway 401, and mainline rail, and is targeted to open in 2024 with a 25 mt/h production capacity.
“There is no better time than now to build and safeguard Canada’s manufacturing and supply of next-generation crop nutrition solutions.” said VCN CEO Ryan Brophy. “Supply chain disruptions and recent offshore production quality are serious issues for farmers on this side of the Atlantic, and VCN Canada will help correct that. A win-win-win for the producer, the people, and the planet.”
The facility will produce VCN’s flagship compound fertilizer Eleven Superstart for multi-crop application, a product that provides 11 plant nutrients in one low-salt, high density granule designed for seed-placed/in furrow application. The product was previously manufactured in Eastern Europe and imported into Canada and the Americas.
The new plant will also manufacture the company’s Soy7 MAX and Pulse8, which are slated to be launched in 2024 and 2025. VCN said the project will provide local and indirect jobs throughout the construction phase, and in manufacturing, logistics, and distribution once the facility is operational.
VCN is a subsidiary of V6 Agronomy Inc., a Canadian wholesale fertilizer distributing company founded by Brophy in 2012 with distribution warehouses in North Augusta, Ont., and Wilcox, Sask. V6 also operates railyards in both eastern Ontario and southeastern Saskatchewan, and expanded its distribution into northern New York in 2014 (GM Jan. 20, 2014).
VCN said its focus is on “regenerative agriculture” and on-farm climate change mitigation, and its manufacturing process involves mixing mineral and organic components with conventional ingredients to remineralize soils and remove carbon dioxide via enhanced rock weathering.
“It’s an exciting day and time for farmers across Canada and the Americas,” said Brophy. “This is the first step to providing a secure supply of fertilizers developed to improve food security and make tangible in-soil contributions to fighting climate change.”