China’s biggest private crusher to boost capacity at least 10%: sources

Singapore-based oilseed-crusher Wilmar International is set to expand its capacity to turn soybeans into soymeal and soyoil by at least 10% by next year, sources familiar with the matter told Agricensus.

The company, which is 25% owned by agribusiness major Archer Daniels Midland, has capacity to crush around 15.5 million mt of soybeans across China, making it the biggest private-owned crusher in China and the biggest crusher after state-owned Cofco.

However, the company has plans to build another three crushers in China, sources told Agricensus, adding at least another 1.56 million mt annual capacity.

The plants, according to sources, include a 4,000-mt per day facility under construction in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, a 2,000-mt per day plant that is under construction in Chaozhou city, Guangdong province and a third plant at Wenzhou, Zhejiang province.

If the plants are built, it would propel Wilmar into the top spot of China’s biggest crushers.

Total crushing capacity in China is around 87-88 million mt, according to China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and private analysts.

It is expected that those three plants will boost annual capacity by 2 million mt, meaning one in every five soybeans crushed in China will be handled by Wilmar.

Wilmar’s press office did not respond to a request for comment.