Bunge announced a €4.4 million investment in its Porto Corsini facility in Ravenna, Italy, to double its soybean processing volumes for crops grown in Italy.
The investment includes modernizing the seed reception system, increasing storage capacity and expanding the in-house laboratory’s testing capabilities.
Modernization projects aim to improve seed reception and delivery operations to accommodate modern transportation methods, with the addition of a rear truck unloading facility alongside the existing side unloading facility. A new silo and chain conveyors will increase storage capacity and improve seed flow to the processing line. The in-house laboratory has also been expanded to ensure faster and more complete analysis.
The expansion will allow the company to increase its purchases of soybeans produced in Italy’s main agricultural regions, including Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Piedmont, Lombardy and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The soybeans will be used for a wide range of purposes, supplying the feed and food supply chains, as well as the biofuel production sector.
The investment also strengthens Ravenna’s role as a hub connecting local harvests to customers throughout Italy and Europe.
“Our investment in Porto Corsini reflects our commitment to Italian farmers and customers in the food, feed and fuel sectors,” said Saverio Panico, Bunge Country Manager for Italy. “It strengthens our ability to source locally while integrating crops from other sources, contributing to Italy’s food security and the supply of sustainable raw materials through stable and reliable supplies.”
Construction was completed in June, and the renovated Porto Corsini plant is expected to be fully operational by the end of the summer, in time for the next harvest season.
