CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US — ADM has temporarily idled its soybean processing plant in Des Moines, Iowa, US, for “planned essential maintenance,” the company said.

The facility, which is the company’s only soybean crush plant in Iowa, will be closed from mid-October through November, ADM told World Grain.

“We forecasted for this project and have plans in place to ensure we can meet customer needs throughout this timeframe utilizing our vast transportation, origination and processing network,” ADM said.

In the thick of harvest, Iowa farmers already have collected more than 27% of their soybean crop this year, according to the latest data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). In 2023, Iowa soybean farmers produced 573 million bushels, or nearly 14% of the US total.

The United States is poised to harvest a record 124.8 million tonnes of soybeans in the season started in September, according to the USDA.