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Local soybean producers likely will reap the benefits of the Louis Dreyfus soybean processing and biofuel production facility, according to Ag Extension Educator Kelly Easterday.
"This will be a win-win situation for producers who feed their livestock soybean meal," Easterday said. "The cost should be less and it won't have to be hauled any further than Claypool."
Soybean meal is a by-product of soybean processing.
"They're not going to ship it that far. I'm pretty sure they can get rid of a lot of it here."
The Louis Dreyfus facility opens another marketing avenue for soybean growers. Farmers who can deliver by the semi-tractor load can go straight to the plant.
"Decreased transportation costs will be an immediate benefit. You can go to Decatur or you can get to Claypool, reachable within 30 minutes from anywhere in the county," Easterday said.
"They only want certain sized trucks arriving at the facility is my understanding. Farmers with smaller trucks will still take their crop to the graineries. They can market the beans from there."
Area fields won't necessarily be totally occupied by soybeans because farmers rotate crops.
