May 5, 2015
Cargill''s US$29 million feed mill to provide for hogs in Iowa, US
Cargill''s new US$29 million feed mill in Iowa, US, will help provide grains for one million hogs in the region. To celebrate the start of operations at the Hedrick-based facility, the company will hold a dedication on May 12, 2015.
Capable of functioning for 24 hours on a six-days-a-week basis, the 15-story-tall mill''s will produce 350,000 tonnes of feed annually and requires a manpower of 14 employees. Feed are then delivered to more than 100 family-owned farms that raise hogs for Cargill throughout the region.
Within a transportation radius of 35 miles, the facility will handle approximately 100 trucks daily, annually converting about six million bushels of corn to feed.
Another site, a 10-acre pork processing plant, is located in the city of Ottumwa and within a 20 minute drive from the Hedrick facility.
The plant employs more than 2,300 people and harvests 18,000- 19,000 hogs daily. It recently completed a US$25 million+ expansion to double its daily bacon output.
"People love bacon and we see demand continuing to increase," said Randy Zorn, the Ottumwa plant''s general manager.
"As consumer demand for bacon has increased, our retail and food service customers want more bacon, and we intend to meet their needs. In fact, we inaugurated a Bacon Fest in Ottumwa last year that drew 4,000 people."
Together, the Hedrick and Ottumwa facilities represent a combined investment of close to US$60 million by CargillPork.
"These projects represent our commitment to Iowa''s agricultural economy, and illustrate our long heritage for helping communities and farmers to thrive while enhancing our ongoing efforts to provide high-quality protein for millions of Americans and consumers around the world," said Jane Fallon, Cargill Pork''s general manager.