On January 15, Perdue Farms, Inc. released a statement that its grain elevator in southern Anne Arundel County, Maryland, would stop accepting grain on February 26 and close permanently on March 31, reports The Bay Net.
In a statement, County Executive Steuart Pittman says he has attempted to schedule a call with CEO Jim Perdue, but so far has not heard back.
This grain elevator in Lothian serves farmers in all five southern Maryland counties. Small operators who do not have their own storage silos are dependent on this single facility to get their product to market, says Pittman.
The closest alternative is the Perdue grain elevator at Curtis Bay, but it accepts only soybeans.
"Perdue Farms, Inc. is well aware of the role that grain elevators play in a local ag industry, and they know that grain farmers plan crops a year in advance," Pittman says in his statement. "Their seed and fertilizer are purchased, and they need to know that their crops will have a buyer in the fall."
Pittman notes that Perdue also knows that potential buyers for this elevator exist, and there’s talk of a southern Maryland co-op being formed.
"This January 15 closure announcement is an unnecessary assault on the very people who have made this company’s extraordinary growth possible," he says. "With over $6 billion in annual sales, Perdue can afford to give local stakeholders adequate time to come up with a plan."
