(NDAgConnection.com) – North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum Wednesday joined local, state and federal officials and community members to help break ground on a state-of-the-art soybean processing plant being developed near Casselton by North Dakota Soybean Processors LLC, highlighting the project as an example of ongoing efforts to shift processing of North Dakota’s raw farm commodities to within the state.

North Dakota Soybean Processors is jointly owned between Consolidated Grain and Barge (CGB) Enterprises Inc. and Minnesota Soybean Processors. The new facility is expected to crush 42.5 million bushels of soybeans in the first year once fully operational in 2024.

“This project is part of a tectonic shift in North Dakota agriculture and energy — shifting away from exporting all our raw commodities out of state for processing and shifting toward adding value to those commodities right here at home, reducing transport costs and improving the prices paid to soybean growers,” Burgum said. “We’re grateful to North Dakota Soybean Processors for this significant investment, which will create 50 to 60 quality jobs and generate greater economic activity and tax revenue that supports essential services and critical infrastructure, benefiting all North Dakotans. We also thank Josh Teigen and the entire team at the North Dakota Department of Commerce for their key role in the project, the State Water Commission and North Dakota Public Finance Authority for supporting Cass County Rural Water District on the water supply, the North Dakota Department of Transportation for working with Cass County on access to the site, and all the other partners whose efforts made this groundbreaking possible.”

U.S. Senator John Hoeven said, “This project will provide a convenient, local market for our soybean producers while at the same time supporting good-paying jobs and economic growth in the region. By further increasing the partnership between the energy and ag industries in North Dakota, it creates another opportunity for farmers to get their product to market while producing soybean byproducts.”