Family business is cleaning up

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/04/2018 (2691 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

By the time this season’s soybeans are harvested, Pitura Seeds’ new cleaning facility will be ready.

The family-owned seed company, located southwest of Domain, recently broke ground on the largest family-owned pedigreed seed processing operation in Western Canada. The state-of-the-art cleaning facility will process 800 to 1,000 bushels per hour, with the potential to double capacity in the future, and will focus on cereals and soybeans.  It will triple the company’s total seed cleaning capacity and is expected to be operational by Oct. 1.

President and general manager Tom Greaves said the new cleaning facility is part of the company’s long-term growth strategy that is expanding Pitura Seeds’ market share and will make it the largest family-owned pedigreed seed processing operation in western Canada.
Pitura Seeds was established in the 1950s by Carl and Clara Pitura. Their son Calvin, and daughter-in-law Barbara Strath-Pitura, came into the business in 1978, seeing opportunity for producing high-quality pedigreed seed. The multi-generational business now includes son Connor, who manages the seed farm, and son-in-law Greaves, in addition to 10 other full-time staff.

“Having been a pedigreed seed grower since the 1970s, I’ve seen great evolution in our industry,” company chairman Calvin said. “Today I see remarkable opportunities for growth in the certified seed market, and its ability to provide value to our grower customers.”

Under Pitura Seed Farms, the company grows pedigreed soybean and cereal seed on 4,000 acres in the Domain area, and also contracts with Manitoba seed growers to produce more seed.

Calvin worked with other seed growers about 20 years ago to form Northstar Genetics Canada to process and sell soybeans in western Canada.

“Soybeans have been a big driver for our companies,” Greaves said.

The other side of the business is Pitura Seed Service that encompasses seed sales, cleaning and processing. The company sells its seed from its Domain location and also cleans and processes seed for other companies and customers.

“We’re very fortunate to have a loyal customer base,” Greaves said.

Thanks to varietal research and development, the varieties of seed Pitura grows and cleans have changed over the years, but Greaves said the main types of seed have remained the same.

The company has two agronomists on staff who provide support for their contract growers as well as the customers who plant their seeds.

Pitura has seven separate seed treaters to help speed up the treatment process for customers who are eager to get out in their fields. Each treater is dedicated to a specific seed variety thereby eliminating the time required to clean out a treater after each load is run through.

They also offer equipment rental and seed storage and warehousing.

“At the end of the day, this expansion is all about doing more for our customers” Greaves said. “Our company’s success has been driven by focusing on their needs.”

For more information, see www.pituraseeds.ca