South Dakota Soybean Processors Building New Multi-Seed Processing Facility
South Dakota Soybean Processors (SDSP) announced its plans to build a new multi-seed processing facility outside of Mitchell, South Dakota. The plant will have the capacity to process 35 million bushels of soybeans, or the equivalent of 1 million tons of high-oilseed crops, per year.
SDSP stated that increased demand for vegetable oil is driving growth in soybean processing in the U.S., but a plant with the added ability to also process high-oilseed crops, such as sunflowers, which can produce twice as much oil per acre than soybeans, greatly mitigates any risk associated with the project and positions the plant for long-term success.
The location near Mitchell was chosen due to multiple advantages - the area offers an abundant supply of soybeans, and being in the western side of the state places it in a region well suited for the production of high-oilseed crops such as sunflowers and camelina. The area around Mitchell is also experiencing a boom in hog and dairy production, both of which spark demand for soybean and sunflower meal. Currently, SDSP is engaged in securing all engineering and permitting approvals, and is actively negotiating with the state in order to finalize the project. Operations on-site are expected to begin in 2025, at which time it will generate 50 full-time jobs.
.png)
