New grain facility signs lease at port

ROSEDALE, Miss. (AP) — Louis Dreyfus Commodities, a global merchandiser of oilseeds, grains, feed and rice, will invest $20 million in a grain elevator and barge loading facility at the Port of Rosedale along the Mississippi River.

Louis Dreyfus Commodities expects the Rosedale Port terminal to create up to 10 new jobs by the time it begins operation in the summer of 2014.

"This is a very positive and exciting development for the Port of Rosedale and for the farming community of Bolivar County," said Robert Maxwell, director of the port, told the Bolivar Commercial (http://bit.ly/16z4Dpb ).

"It will help set the stage for further economic growth and prosperity in our county."

Louis Dreyfus officials said the Rosedale facility will provide a new outlet for local farmers to sell corn and soybeans to the company for subsequent export to its newly opened terminal at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, La.

The Baton Rouge new elevator is expected to handle up to 5 million metric tons of grains and oilseeds annually during the first phase of operations. The dock will be able to load a vessel at a rate of 100,000 bushels an hour and unload at the rate of 80,000 bushels an hour.

"We believe that the new terminal at the Port of Rosedale creates significant opportunities for farmers and other members of the surrounding community," said Mikael Mörn, CEO of Louis Dreyfus Commodities for North America.

Louis Dreyfus Commodities LLC is headquartered in Wilton, Conn.