The federal government has announced an investment of $26 million that will fund a $76-million expansion to the Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) grain terminal at Port Windsor.

Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk announced the funding on January 11. ADM will use the money to build new grain drying equipment, expand its grain storage capacity, grow its shipping and receiving conveyor loading capacity, and develop an automated truck kiosk system to expedite complex traffic flows.

"Our government’s investment in the Archer Daniels Midland Company Grain Terminal Expansion Project is a concrete step to enhance our trade infrastructure,” said Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez. “By increasing our export capacity at Port Windsor, we’re helping our farmers get Canadian grain to international markets, which is good for economic growth and for global food security.”

The project will increase ADM’s export capacity to markets in Europe, the United States, and Latin America for agricultural production from southwestern Ontario farmers in Essex, Kent, Lambton, Middlesex and Elgin counties.

It also aims to alleviate the current supply chain bottleneck at Windsor’s grain terminal, facilitate increased tonnage, and enhance marine transportation for efficiency gains, while reducing emissions in grain transportation.

This will address issues such as idling trucks, waiting times for marine vessels to dock, and locomotives shuttling around railcars for temporary grain storage on-site.

“This investment by the Government of Canada and Archer Daniels Midland Company Grain Terminal to the region’s largest agricultural multi-modal hub at Port Windsor provides new and continuing markets for local and prairie farmers to export Canadian grains,” said Steve Salmons President and CEO of Port Windsor. “It proves that marine is not only the right solution for the movement of products to and from their plant, but the greenest solution leading to reduced GHG’s and reduced truck congestion on roads."

The funding is being provided under the National Trade Corridors Fund is a competitive, merit-based program that is designed to support infrastructure owners and users. A total of $4.6 billion over 11 years has been allocated to the program.