January 10, 2013

Cargill, Alliance Grain collaborate on selling feed proteins

Alliance Grain Traders Inc. announced that its wholly owned US subsidiary, United Pulse Trading Inc.(UPT), has entered into an agreement with Cargill, Incorporated, for the latter to be the exclusive agent for UPT's pulse protein ingredient products for the animal feed sector, including pet foods.

The agreement is for a period of five years, with Cargill appointed as UPT's exclusive agent for the sales and marketing of pulse proteins in North America for the animal feed sector and UPT as the exclusive supplier of these ingredients to Cargill for this sector for the term of the agreement.

"We are very pleased to announce this agreement with Cargill as the first for our pet food and branded feed ingredient platform. We have commented on a number of occasions that we are excited about the profile of pulses as ingredients for protein, fibre and starch, and many of our customers agree with us on this. The fact that a major company like Cargill, with their position in the market, concurs with us on the potential opportunities for pulse ingredients and have entered into this agreement with us, which demonstrates that this new line of business is a positive and exciting development for us," said Murad Al-Katib, President and CEO of Alliance Grain Trading (AGT).

AGT, with its new Minot, North Dakota pulses ingredient processing facility set to begin commissioning in late first quarter 2013, is expected to commence production in its first North American industrial scale, pulses ingredient processing and production facility producing protein, fibre, starch and flour derived from legumes including lentils, peas, chickpeas and beans for human food, food ingredient and animal feed including pet food applications. Sales and marketing activities by Cargill covered under this agreement are expected to begin shortly.

AGT is a value-added pulse, staple food and ingredient processor for export and domestic markets. Through its offices and processing facilities located in some of the best agricultural growing regions globally, AGT produces a full range of pulses and specialty crops including lentils, peas, chickpeas, beans and canary seed as well as food ingredients such as pulse flours, proteins, starches and fibres.