Belle Plaine, Sask.-Alpine Plant Foods officially opened its new liquid phosphate production facility in Belle Plaine earlier this month, with 200 guests on hand for the occasion. Alpine officials reported that the new $8 million investment provides a capacity of 700,000 litres per day of liquid fertilizer for Western Canada growers and is a result of growing demand for starter fertilizer in this region, where the company has been servicing farmers for over a decade. The expansion, the company noted, will provide not only reduced shipping costs, but also a quicker turnaround time for delivery. “Ever since we started focusing on Western Canada 10 years ago we knew we needed to open a plant out here, not only to show our commitment, but also for logistical reasons for the grower. It’s great to finally see it open,” said Alpine President Neil Dolsons. Located in the Moose Jaw-Regina industrial corridor, this new plant has access to both CPR and CN railways and the Trans Canada highway for easy distribution to dealers and delivery of raw materials. According to Terry Good, western Canada sales manager, Alpine’s liquid phosphate fertilizer is a great fit for the western grower. “Our product provides phosphate, which is not always readily available in the cold, dry conditions found in the province,” Good noted, adding that in liquid form it works faster than dry phosphate. “A dry phosphate needs to break down and become available through the grounds soil,” Good explained. “Our product is already in a simple, soluble solution, so it’s immediately useable by the plant.” Alpine Plant Foods, established in 1973 and a member of Nachurs Alpine Solution, operating in North America, now has two manufacturing facilities in Canada, with a location also in New Hamburg, Ont. Alpine also manufactures and distributes a full line of foliar fertilizers, as well as foliar and soil-applied micronutrients such as zinc, manganese, boron, copper, and molybdenum, and seed nutrition treatments.
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