AMES, IOWA, US — Farmer-owned cooperative Landus and pork producer AMVC will collaborate to build a feed mill that will produce up to 400,000 tonnes of swine feed annually at Landus' existing grain facility in Hamlin, Iowa, US, the companies announced March 30.

Through this partnership, AMVC, the ninth largest pork producer in the United States, will own and operate the feed mill, and Landus will be responsible for originating grain for the project through its network of local farmer-owners. AMVC anticipates project completion by summer 2024. 

“By working together from the start, Landus and AMVC have developed an optimized approach that allows each party to focus on its strengths while better meeting the unique needs of our differing stakeholders,” said Matt Carstens, president and chief executive officer of Landus. “This improved model gives AMVC better control of their long-term biosecurity and traceability requirements, while Landus can focus on sourcing and delivering quality grain from our farmer-owners.” 

The proposed feed mill will generate demand for roughly 8.5 million bushels of corn, and 48,000 tonnes of soybean meal annually. Corn demand will exceed capacity of Landus' grain storage in Hamlin, so Landus will leverage its nearby grain assets, including a site in Panora, Iowa, US, which recently was acquired through an asset swap with Heartland Co-op, to supply corn to the new mill.

“For over 30 years, AMVC has been committed to investing in livestock production and animal well-being,” said Dr. Steve Schmitz, veterinarian and managing partner at AMVC. “This investment furthers our pursuit to feed the world through our local communities.” 

Ames, Iowa, US-based Landus has total licensed grain storage capacity of 152.686 million bushels at 56 storage facilities, making it the 10th largest grain storage company in the North America, according to Sosland Publishing Co.’s 2022 Grain & Milling Annual.