Latest news with #processing
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Break it Down: MTM and Meteoric sign MoU for rare earths processing
MTM Critical Mealsmetemet has signed a MoU with Meteoric Resources to work on downstream rare earth processing solutions.
CBC
6 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Business leaders want B.C. to end rule they say hurts farmers — and makes us more reliant on imported food
Business leaders in B.C. are calling on the province to end a rule that they say is hurting farmers and making British Columbians more reliant on imported food. In an opinion piece penned in the Vancouver Sun last week, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade CEO Bridgitte Anderson and B.C. Food & Beverage CEO James Donaldson said the so-called "50-50" food processing regulation on agricultural land is "outdated" and "hinders food security, innovation and growth." In B.C., any food processing done on land designated for farm use — Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) — is only allowed if half of what is processed is grown on the farm or on a farm co-op. The other half can be sourced from anywhere in the world. But if that's not possible, Anderson said farmers and businesses end up taking products to the U.S. for processing, which are then brought back to B.C. for sale. "It is not only bad for our economy, it is bad for our food security, it is bad for the climate," Anderson told CBC's The Early Edition. In the Sun article, the pair said the restriction means it would be "economically illogical" for farmers to invest in processing if they're confined to processing only their own crops, rather than being able to process both their own and those of their neighbours. Anderson wants to see it eliminated so that more food products can be processed in B.C., which she said is crucial right now, as climate change affects food security around the world and political tensions make trade unreliable. "This is our opportunity for us to become our own food superpower, if you will, by just eliminating this one simple rule." In an email to CBC News, the Ministry of Agriculture said the rule exists to "promote farming in the ALR by enabling farms to process their own production, capturing the value-added income from the finished product." Anderson said when the ALR was established in 1973 it made sense to protect farmers and farmland, but she believes things are different now, and rules should evolve. "Times have changed and the kind of manufacturing that happens now on farmland has also changed," she said. "It is time to take a look at this and remove this rule that simply does not make any sense anymore." The province didn't respond to questions from CBC News about whether it would reconsider the rule. It did, however, say there are more than 800 food processing facilities in the ALR. Of the 51 applications for food processing and non-farm use to the Agricultural Land Commission in 2025, 88 per cent have been approved so far, the ministry said.
Zawya
26-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Nigeria to open two Chinese-backed lithium processing plants this year
LAGOS - Nigeria is set to commission two major lithium processing plants this year, the country's mining minister announced on Sunday, marking a shift from raw mineral exports towards adding value domestically. The facilities, largely funded by Chinese investors, could help transform Nigeria's vast mineral wealth into jobs, technology, and manufacturing growth within the country. Mining Minister Dele Alake said a $600 million lithium processing plant near the Kaduna-Niger border is slated for commissioning this quarter, while a $200 million lithium refinery on the outskirts of Abuja is nearing completion. Two additional processing plants are expected in Nasarawa state, which borders the capital Abuja, before the third quarter of 2025, the minister said. "We are now focused on turning our mineral wealth into domestic economic value - jobs, technology, and manufacturing," Alake said. Over 80% of the funding for the four facilities has been provided by Chinese firms, including Jiuling Lithium Mining Company and Canmax Technologies, according to separate announcements by governors of the states where the plants are located. The remaining stakes are owned by local investor Three Crown Mines. The Chinese firms did not immediately provide comment. The push for domestic processing follows a 2022 study by Nigeria's Geological Survey Agency, which discovered significant deposits of high-grade lithium across half a dozen Nigerian states, attracting considerable international interest. These developments are part of Nigeria's broader reforms to its underdeveloped mining sector, which currently contributes less than 1% to the nation's gross domestic product. Other reforms undertaken include restricting the export of unprocessed minerals, formalising artisanal mining operations, which account for much of the current extraction, and establishing a state mining firm where investors can own up to a 75% stake.
Reuters
26-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Nigeria to open two Chinese-backed lithium processing plants this year
LAGOS, May 26 (Reuters) - Nigeria is set to commission two major lithium processing plants this year, the country's mining minister announced on Sunday, marking a shift from raw mineral exports towards adding value domestically. The facilities, largely funded by Chinese investors, could help transform Nigeria's vast mineral wealth into jobs, technology, and manufacturing growth within the country. Mining Minister Dele Alake said a $600 million lithium processing plant near the Kaduna-Niger border is slated for commissioning this quarter, while a $200 million lithium refinery on the outskirts of Abuja is nearing completion. Two additional processing plants are expected in Nasarawa state, which borders the capital Abuja, before the third quarter of 2025, the minister said. "We are now focused on turning our mineral wealth into domestic economic value - jobs, technology, and manufacturing," Alake said. Over 80% of the funding for the four facilities has been provided by Chinese firms, including Jiuling Lithium Mining Company and Canmax Technologies ( opens new tab, according to separate announcements by governors of the states where the plants are located. The remaining stakes are owned by local investor Three Crown Mines. The Chinese firms did not immediately provide comment. The push for domestic processing follows a 2022 study by Nigeria's Geological Survey Agency, which discovered significant deposits of high-grade lithium across half a dozen Nigerian states, attracting considerable international interest. These developments are part of Nigeria's broader reforms to its underdeveloped mining sector, which currently contributes less than 1% to the nation's gross domestic product. Other reforms undertaken include restricting the export of unprocessed minerals, formalising artisanal mining operations, which account for much of the current extraction, and establishing a state mining firm where investors can own up to a 75% stake.
