New Oilseeds Processing Plant Opened by Louis Dreyfus

A subsidiary of agribusiness Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) recently opened a new oilseeds processing facility in Tianjin, China featuring a soybean crush capacity of 4000 tn/day and an oil refining capacity of 1200 tn/day, a press release announced Thursday.

The new Louis Dreyfus Company (Tianjin) Food Technology Company Limited plant will increase the firm’s ability to supply Chinese customers with soybean meal, crude soybean oil, and refined vegetable oil. Bottling, filling, packaging and storage assets at the site allow LDC to introduce its packed oil into the Chinese market. 

“We are delighted to announce the opening of the new plant, which enhances our soybean processing capabilities in China, a vital market for LDC, and will help us to respond to rapidly increasing demand for protein and safe, high-quality food products in the country,” Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, chair of Louis Dreyfus Holding B.V., said in a statement. “We have been investing in China for over 40 years and are committed to leveraging our scale and expertise as a global merchant and processor of agricultural products to support the country’s sustainable development, with a focus on innovation and working closely with our local partners.”

A refined oil production line became operational this June at the Tianjin plant, and the company plans to commence production of small-packaged edible oil by the end of 2018. Louis Dreyfus said it plans invest in Tianjin and additional locations in China and seek out new partnerships with Chinese companies in the coming years.

“The Chinese government’s encouragement of more foreign direct investment in the agricultural processing sector will enable the group to proactively seek and form mutually beneficial partnerships in China,” said LDC Chief Executive Officer Gonzalo Ramirez Martiarena in the release. 

Louis Dreyfus has been active in China since the 1970s.

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