MAXTON — Local farmers are reaping the benefits of a new crop buyer that has a large presence in Robeson County.
Dozens of local farmers have been lining up at the scales each day to sell corn to Mountaire Farms’ new feed mill in Scotland County, which started accepting local grain this summer.
The company, which held a grand opening celebration on Wednesday at the new Scotland County Feed Mill, already has bought more than $8.5 million of corn from local farmers and plans to continue with the purchase of soybeans and wheat, according to Catherine Bassett, Mountaire Farms director of Communications and Community Relations.
“It’s critical for us to buy local corn,” Bassett said.
The new feed mill, which represents a $60 million investment by Mountaire, is in an industrial park in Scotland County near Maxton. The mill offers Mountaire rail service, enabling the company to bring in grain by train. The location has an 8,014-foot loop track, handling 110 or more rail cars and three locomotives on the CSX main line.
In addition, the location also will allow the company to deliver feed faster to poultry growers closer to their Lumber Bridge processing plant. That plant is Robeson County’s largest private employer, with about 2,300 workers. It produced about a half million chickens a week.
“Based on the number of pounds produced in Lumber Bridge, it is the largest (poultry) producing plant in the country,” Bassett said.
The addition of the mill is one way to sustain the plant’s growth, she said.
“We have a large need for feed,” Bassett said.
The new mill can produce 18,000 tons per week of feed to be delivered to local farmers who contract with Mountaire to grow chicken. With the capacity to produce up to 27,000 tons per week it is among the largest feed mills in the United States. The mill also has concrete silos that can hold up to 1.18 million bushels of grain. A grain dryer is located on site, which enables the mill to take even more local grain.
“We welcome Mountaire into our community not as a company, but as a member of our family, and will work with them to continue growing their business,” said Mark Ward, director of economic development for Scotland County. “Scotland County is grateful for the confidence Mountaire Farms has placed in our community with the investment of 60 jobs and $60 million. From the first visit to the first load of grain unloaded we have been working together as a team.”
The mill has hired 33 employees, and 27 drivers who deliver the feed to family farmers in the region.
“Scotland County was very helpful to us right from the beginning,” Mountaire President Phillip Plylar said. “We appreciate all the behind-the-scenes effort that had to happen to get to this point. This is a great day for our company as we continue to invest in our future.”
