Yellow pea farmers in eastern Saskatchewan are well positioned to sell into a soon-to-open Manitoba processing plant owned by French company Roquette.

Roquette agronomist Bruce Brolley says the Portage processing facility will turn peas into products for cosmetics, human nutrition and pet food.

He says the company specifications has no tolerance for soybean residue, which are considered an allergen.

Saskatchewan has far fewer soybean acres than Manitoba and a large pea acreage.

There are also restrictions on the use of herbicide residue.

The plant, the largest of its kind in the world,  is expected to process over 150 thousand tonnes of peas per year – fractionating starch, protein and fibre – largely for the U.S. market.