Viterra Inc. buys American pea and lentil merchandiser Premier Pulses

CALGARY – Grain handler Viterra Inc. (TSX:VT) says a subsidiary has acquired an American pea and lentil seller to better serve demand from the Middle East and Asia.

Calgary-based Viterra did not reveal how much it paid to buy Premier Pulses International Inc. of Lewiston, Idaho.

Premier Pulses owns a cleaning and processing factory in North Dakota, as well as a warehouse where the peas and lentils are bagged and shipped.

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Viterra said Premier Pulses is located in the primary pea and lentil growing regions of the northern United States and that acreage is increasing to meet growing demand from the Middle East and Asia.

The deal closed Monday.

Viterra has extensive operations across Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand and is involved in grain handling and marketing, agriproducts and processing businesses.

The company, formerly known as Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, had more than 3,400 employees at the end of 2009.