Louis Dreyfus Commodities dedicates export grain hub at Baton Rouge port

Billed as Louis Dreyfus Commodities LLC’s flagship Mississippi River export facility, a state-of-the-industry grain and oilseed elevator has been dedicated at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge. “The Louis Dreyfus Commodities flagship export elevator at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge will be the most modern grain elevator on the Mississippi River,” Jay Hardman, executive director of the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, said at an Oct. 1 ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This facility will provide Louisiana farmers with more access to international markets for their agricultural products, and it signals a new stage in the growth and development of the port,” Hardman continued. “The additional ships, barges and trucks unloading and loading cargo at the port is economically beneficial in many ways. It will increase maritime activity, attract additional companies to the port region, and provide much-needed jobs for longshoremen, barge lines and oceangoing vessels.” Thanks to a $150 million investment by Louis Dreyfus Commodities in expansion and modernization, the elevator now boasts capacity to process as many as 5 million metric tons of grains and oilseeds a year, while the new barge unloader will be able to discharge as many as 24 barges a day, with annual unloads of as many as 4,000 barges. Louis Dreyfus Commodities, which has the property under 20-year lease with an additional 10-year option, plans more enhancements over the next couple of years that will further increase capabilities. The company is part of the Paris-based Louis Dreyfus Group Mikael Mörn, Louis Dreyfus Commodities’ chief executive officer for North America, called the Port of Greater Baton Rouge installation “our flagship export facility on the Mississippi River and a major part of our North American export program, bringing local products to world markets.” “We will start moving product immediately through the terminal, and are positioning ourselves to sustain and expand our leading presence within the grains and oilseeds export landscape in the U.S.,” Mörn added. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal told those at the dedication, “This expansion by Louis Dreyfus Commodities is great news for Baton Rouge and our entire state.” Adam Knapp, president and chief executive officer of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, said, “The Port of Greater Baton Rouge is an invaluable asset for our region, and this upgrade further strengthens this asset.”