About

ALBERTA SEED PROCESSORS (Alberta Association of Co-op Seed Cleaning Plants)

The Alberta Seed Processors are a network of seed and grain processing professionals focused on providing Alberta farmers, seed growers and the agriculture industry with value-added services to support the growth of the local and global agriculture economy. We are a collective of community-minded businesses, working together to offer our members group benefits, professional and business development, through membership and the power of peer networking.

OUR VISION

To create seed and grain processing opportunities for local and global markets.

OUR MISSION

To strengthen and build upon past accomplishments in seed and grain processing and business diversification focusing on long term business sustainability.

We will achieve this through:

• Fostering a network of processing professionals by creating an environment of continual professional development focusing on best practices
• Delivering and enhancing group service benefits – embracing co-operative spirit
• Advocacy, market development, industry involvement

WHO WE ARE

• Alberta Seed Processors, formerly known as Alberta Association of Co-op Seed Cleaning Plants Ltd., is made up of 67 individual farmer-owned seed and grain processing co-ops located throughout Alberta, and the Peace region of B.C.
• The services offered by these 67 individual co-ops range from basic seed cleaning to exporting of specialty grains and pulse crops. Members may also act as agents for producer car loading sites, as processors for grain brokers, as distribution sites for seed growers/companies.
• Rural community focused in providing select services that fit with their community. For example, one site offers sales of hay tarps, while another offers pet and livestock feed sales, yet another sells hail and crop insurance.
• Many sites are Registered Seed Establishments, certified by the Canadian Seed Institute to clean, and handle pedigreed seed in Canada. As professionals in the industry we are able to adopt additional quality assurance standards to help you access new marketing opportunities.

GETTING THE JOB DONE

• Flexible and dedicated operators and plant managers ensure massive volumes are processed each year. Crops handled through member facilities range from cereal and pulse crops to oilseeds and specialty crops such as hemp.
• Business-minded operators and the Board of Directors at each site are always looking for unique, new opportunities to bridge the seasonal nature of traditional seed processing.
• Many sites have good road access, able to handle the largest trucks, with select sites having access to rail and major road ways.
• In 2013/2014 crop year, over 39.5 million bushels (1,075,005 metric tonnes) of seed and grain were processed by member facilities.
• Of this volume, just over 32 million bushels (870,890 metric tonnes) were processed for seed – with just under 5 million bushels being pedigreed seed.
• Over 7.5 million bushels (204,114 metric tonnes) were processed for export or upgrading of domestic commodity grains/pulses/oilseeds.

INVESTING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

• Over the past three years over 17 million dollars were spent in facility upgrading. The modernization of most facilities means the access to optical sorting and legal for trade weighing systems for even the largest transport trucks is now available at most sites.
• In the past five years, two state of art facilities have been built, with construction on two more new facilities now underway. This demonstrates ASP’s dedication to constant improvement and reinvestment into the industry, rather than payments of dividends to shareholders.

BECOME A MEMBER OR PARTNER

• Currently, membership is open to any agricultural based co-op within a reasonable distance to Alberta to ensure membership benefits can be delivered.
• Membership benefits include the following:

1. Advocacy
2. Group liability and capital protection insurance
3. Group employee benefits – including pension plans
4. Access to seed industry news through association outreach within the industry
5. Access to grain exporting opportunities
6. Other sundry group purchase benefits
7. Operator/employee training and networking
   
   

Alberta Seed Processors

Board of Directors 2022