Singapore, Viterra launch Canola Oil Plant

 BEIJING (Dow Jones)--A canola oil production joint venture between Singapore's
Viterra Asia Pte. Ltd. and China's Fangchenggang Maple Edible Oil Co. has begun
operations, a state agency reported Tuesday.
  The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region-based venture will annually process
600,000 metric tons of canola, also called rapeseed, and produce 240,000 tons of
canola oil, the state-backed China National Grain and Oils Information Center
said.
  The joint investment in the edible oil processing plant totaled CNY340 million
($53 million), it said.
  Besides the Viterra project, three other projects--each capable of processing
2,000 tons a day of canola--have been completed or are expected to be completed
in the first half of 2012, including one by state giant Cofco Group, the center
said.
  The projects are collectively expected to bring Guangxi's rapeseed processing
capacity to nearly 8,000 tons a day.