Prairie Malt Limited set a record for being Saskatchewan's biggest grain processing centre and was constructed in 1977 by the Saskatchewan government. Farmers receive higher price for producing malt barley than they would for feed barley. The processing plant converts the malt parley to malt using the Wanderhaufen system to germinate the process. Malt is the main ingredient to process beer. In one year the plant can produce 220,000 metric tonnes of barley malt. The University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre has assisted in the success of the province's only malting plant by producing a variety of barley strains. Currently 2 row varieties of Barley are the main source for production. About one third of the barely grown in the province is used in the malt industry and the reamainder is used as feed. There are only six malting plants nationwide. Prairie Malt has recently been certified by the Organic Crop Improvement Association International and the United States National Organic Program so that it can purchase organic wheat and barley for international trade. The plant supports both the rail and trucking industry. Truck transport provides an economical advantage for short hauls, thus providing a spin off industry for Biggar Transport.Prairie Malt remained a provincial Crown corporation before becoming privatized by Schreirer Malting Company and the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool SWP who took over operations in 1989. In 1993, the plant saw sales of 150,000 tonnes of malting barley annually. The sale of "dry beer" in the 1980s to Japan aided in the growth of the overseas market. Then in 1998 Cargill bought out Schreirer's share of the company. 45% of the plant is owned by the SWP Viterra and the rest by Cargill Incorporated.

Peter McCann served as president in the 1970s after his graduation from Edinburgh Scotland University with majors in biochemistry and microbiology. From here McCann went on to found the Great Western Brewing Company in Saskatoon.

Bibliography:

Biggar Community Profiles" Enterprise Saskatchewan Sask Biz. Government of Saskatchewan. 2009. http://www.saskbiz.ca/communityprofiles/CommunityProfile.Asp?CommunityID=225. Retrieved 2009-10-22.


"Go Bio Prairie Malt Limited". Ag-West Bio Inc.. 2008-Mar-04. http://www.go-bio.ca/search.html?ent=130. Retrieved 2009-10-28.

Ingledew, William Michael (2006). "Brewing and Fermentation". Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. Canadian Plains Research Centre University of Regina. http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/brewing_and_fermentation.html. Retrieved 2009-11-02.

"Prairie Base agro processing activity" (pdf). Trimac consulting services. http://www.tc.gc.ca/pol/en/report/truckgrain1999/pdf/c3.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-28.

"Prairie Malt exports base non quality: Small company carves healthy niche in overseas market" (Abstract digitised online by Toronto Star). Article for sale by Toronto Star. Kitchener Waterloo Record Kitchener, ON. December 29, 1993. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/504499891.html?dids=504499891:504499891&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+29%2C+1993&author=&pub=The+Record&desc=Prairie+Malt+exports+based+non+quality+%3A+Small+company+carves+healthy+niche+in+overseas+market&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2010-03-07.


Pratt, Sean (2006). "Prairie Malt Goes Organic". Western Producer Saskatoon newsroom. Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC). http://www.organicagcentre.ca/MarketInfo/mkt_prairie_malt_wp.asp. Retrieved 2009-10-28.

"Prairie Malt". Prairie Malt Limited. 2001. http://www.prairiemaltltd.com/. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
Pratt, Sean (2006). "Prairie Malt Goes Organic". Western Producer Saskatoon newsroom. Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC). http://www.organicagcentre.ca/MarketInfo/mkt_prairie_malt_wp.asp. Retrieved 2009-10-28.

Ryan, Camille D. (2006). "McCann, Peter". Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. Canadian Plains Research Centre University of Regina. http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/mccann_peter.html. Retrieved 2009-11-02.

"Saskatchewan". Bi Weekly Bulletin Vol 13 No. 15. Strategic Policy Branch, Marketing Policy Directorate Agiculture and Agri-Food Canada. September 22, 2000. http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/A27-18-13-15E.pdf. Retrieved 2009-11-02.

Storey, Gary (2006). "Agriculture and Food". Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. Canadian Plains Research Centre University of Regina. http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/agriculture_and_food.html. Retrieved 2009-11-02.