News of Cargill spinning off its malting business was first announced last December. The deal to sell the global malt business to Axreal’s subsidary, Boortmalt, has officially closed, as of October 31.
Boortmalt’s parent company, Axreal, is France’s largest grain cooperative.
Cargill had one lone malting company in Canada — Prairie Malt, based at Biggar, Sask.
Boortmalt is taking over all of Cargill’s malt business, including 16 malting houses in nine countries, with a total production capacity of 1.7 million tonnes. The acquistion brings Boortmalt’s total global production to 3 million tonnes.
The company was originally created in 1927 in Belgium, and produces specialty malts for beers, whiskies, and food.