UPDATE 1-Ag Growth Q3 profit tops estimate

* Q3 EPS C$1.17 vs est. C$0.96

* Sales up 14 pct to C$68.3 mln

* Shares up 3 percent

Nov 12 (Reuters) - Ag Growth International Inc (AFN.TO), a maker of grain handling equipment, reported better-than-expected quarterly profit as strong demand and sales price increases boosted results.

For the third quarter ended Sept. 30, Ag Growth posted net earnings of C$15.1 million ($14.45 million), or C$1.17 per share, compared with C$9.8 million, or 75 Canadian cents per share, a year ago.

Quarterly sales grew 14 percent to C$68.3 million.

Analysts expected earnings of 96 Canadian cents a share, excluding items, on revenue of C$68.7 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

"The significant increase in sales and EBITDA was largely due to outstanding results at the portable grain handling and aeration divisions," chief executive Rob Stenson said in a statement.

Sales of portable grain handling and aeration equipment historically represent 65 percent to 75 percent of Ag Growth's total sales, the company said.