Southeast Kansas soybean farmers celebrate new crush facility plans

Oct. 13, 2021 – News broke Oct. 12 that Bartlett plans to build a $325 million soybean crushing facility in Montgomery County. Soybean farmers in the surrounding area weighed in on the investment, mostly praising the development of a new market for their soybean crop.

“It’s a good deal for farmers in the area and gives us another location to haul soybeans to,” Jared Nash, who serves on the Kansas Soybean Association board of directors, says. Nash, who farms southwest of Parsons, estimates he is 15 miles from the intended location of the facility.

Luke Bellar also farms just down the road from the intended location. He says adding a new facility to the area is needed and it may even encourage more acres of soybeans to be grown.  

Soybean production in Kansas has nearly doubled in the last decade up to 190 million bushels, which points to success of the soybean checkoff in creating opportunities for the state’s soybean crop. Increased access to new markets further strengthens the checkoff and ultimately improves profit potential for soybean farmers.

Outside of two local elevators, most soybean farmers in the area transport soybeans to ADM in Deerfield, Missouri or to the Port of Catoosa in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he says. For Nash and Luke Bellar, both ADM and the port are about 100 miles away. Luke Bellar anticipates the new facility will intercept many of the soybeans that would go to these locations.

Nash adds that processing soybeans within state lines will greatly benefit farmers in the region. Luke Bellar predicts the facility will be able to process soybean meal for the already successful chicken industry in southeast Kansas and add to its profitability.

Mike Bellar, Kansas Soybean Commission District 9 representative, expects the new facility will improve basis on soybean prices because it creates competition with the port.

“It’s a good thing all around,” Mike Bellar concludes.

The new operation is expected to be able to handle about 38.5 million bushels of soybeans each year, or about 110,000 bushels per day. It also creates job opportunities for the facility itself and for companies involved in its construction.