Ground was broken recently for the $21 million Southern Louisiana Mill Facility on 3 acres adjacent to the South Louisiana Rail Facility in Jeff Davis Parish, Louisiana.
The five story 15,000-square-foot building, which will house a state-of-the-art processing mill, is expected to be completed in time for the 2022 rice harvest.
Funding for the new mill comes in part from a $1.6 million grant from Louisiana Economic Development and $2.4 million from the Louisiana Agriculture Finance Authority. More than 200 farmers and other investors in South Louisiana and Southeast Texas also provided $4.7 million to secure the project.
The rail facility is owned by the Jefferson Davis Parish Police Jury. It can handle up to 25,000 bushels of rice per hour for storage and export, according to Louisiana Economic Development.
The rail facility will invest more than $10 million to equip the new mill. It was launched in 2010 to receive, preserve and distribute paddy rice to international markets.
Four tanks provide 156,000 bushels of pre-positioned cargo to load 40 rail cars, with trucks able to unload in four minutes through elevators that can handle up to 25,000 bushels per hour.
The rail facility has partnered with the India-based Agreeta Farmer Network to optimize the mill’s logistics and to prepare local farm products for international markets.