The McCain Foods Canada facility in Carberry is getting nearly $380,000 in government funding for new equipment.

The plant — which processes about 430 million pounds of Manitoba-grown potatoes every year — will be upgrading to reduce potato and canola oil waste by close to a million pounds each per year. The government funding through Growing Forward Two will cover about half of these costs.

"This strategic investment is good news for the community of Carberry and for the future of Manitoba's potato industry," says Manitoba Agriculture, Food, and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn in a press release. "Reducing waste and increasing efficiency will help ensure Manitoba-grown potatoes continue to be a top choice for processors and consumers."

Manitoba is Canada's second-largest potato producer behind P.E.I., with about 80 per cent of potatoes processed in Manitoba exported to the United States.