Janaury 23, 2010 – A farmers’ group planning to build an oilseed hemp processing plant in Manitoba’s southwestern corner has picked up commitments for over $5 million in public funding.

The federal government this week pledged $4.895 million from its Community Adjustment Fund for Farm Genesis Group Marketing Inc. to build a hemp oil plant at Waskada, Man., about 100 km south of Virden.

That’s on top of a previously announced commitment of $75,000 from the province, provincial Agriculture Minister Stan Struthers noted in a release this week.

The project is to include the purchase of new processing, packaging and shipping equipment for the facility, spearheaded by a group of 32 local producers.

The company also expects to develop a strategic marketing plan “to build a brand identity within the functional food and natural health product sectors.”

“The new Farm Genesis Group processing plant will allow us to satisfy incredible international demands for Manitoba-based agri-food products,” company president Keith Hannah said in the governments’ release.

The Farm Genesis group has “explored and cultivated this demand through intensive international marketing over the last two years and we are now ready to build the commensurate processing facility,” Hannah said.

The company since 2007 has marketed hemp products such as hulled hemp seed, toasted hemp seed, hemp oils and hemp protein powder, and has plans to market a non-dairy hemp beverage under the brand “Hemp Moo.”

Any projects funded under the two-year, $1 billion Community Adjustment Fund must be completed by March 31, 2011 “with no requirement for continued support.”

CAF funds in Manitoba and the other three western provinces flow through Western Economic Diversification Canada. The program is already closed to applications. Source.