Fort St. John’s Seed Cleaning Cooperative is getting a big shot in the arm financially.

It’s one of two agricultural associations in the region that have been approved under BC Hydro’s Peace Agricultural Compensation Fund for a $746,000 grant towards a $1.2 million upgrade of its existing seed cleaning plant.

The money will be used to install an optical sorter, colour sorter, gravity separator and super cleaner at its facility.

The new state-of-the-art technology will help to filter unwanted seeds and other objects from grains, cereal crops, seeds and pulses.

The South Peace Grain Cleaning Cooperative, meantime, will receive $254,000 from the same fund to purchase and install an optical sorting machine.

The sorter uses cameras and lighting to sift through seed to find and remove foreign materials.