Agro-100 and Ash Grove Cement renew their partnership agreement for kiln dust recycling at the Joliette cement plant

JOLIETTE, QC,- Agro-100 of Joliette and Ash Grove Cement have renewed their partnership of the past few years. This renewal will allow Agro-100 to ensure a secure supply of kiln dust product used, after a specialized screening process, by agricultural producers in Quebec and Ontario as an ecological alternative to fertilizer. This residual fertilizer material which is a calcium amendment is marketed under the brand name proKa.

Ash Grove Cement and Agro-100 executives were looking forward to this renewal with enthusiasm.

"We are pleased to be able to reassure our customers that the product will be available for the 2023 season and to maintain a remarkable environmental record," said Agro-100 President Stéphane Beaucage, supported by Ash Grove Cement's Director of Valorization and Circular Economy, Yannick Munger, Eng. and MBA.

Hundreds of thousands of metric tons of this designated dust material have been revalorized by Agro-100 for several years to produce a BNQ certified mineral fertilizer for agricultural land in Quebec and Ontario. According to Agro-100's President and CEO, Stéphane Beaucage, proKa is one of the innovative lime fertilizers in the company's product line that is rich in valuable calcium (Ca), potassium (K), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg), and also in the micronutrients manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se) and copper (Cu).

"Research results clearly indicate that proKa applications improve soil health by adding these valuable nutrients that are easily absorbed by plants," said Mr. Beaucage, who added that proKa provides both lime and nutrients to the soil in a single application that saves time and money for our agricultural producers. 

The use of proKa, beyond its agronomic value, contributes to the gains made by the agricultural industry of environmental protection. Economically, the product generates savings of 35% on the cost of calcium and potassium fertilization for the agricultural operations.