Global agribusiness giant Bunge has invested €4.4M (US$5M) in upgrading its soyabean processing facility in Porto Corsini, Ravenna, Italy, World Grain reported.
The upgrade included a modern seed receival system, increased storage capacity and expanded in-house laboratory testing capabilities, the 7 July report said.
Construction was completed in June, and the renovated Porto Corsini plant was expected to be fully operational in time for the next harvest season, Bunge said on 3 July.
The investment was aimed at doubling the processing of Italian-grown soyabeans, alongside the processing of soyabeans of other origins, and offering Italian farmers more opportunities for their crops, World Grain wrote.
“Our investment in Porto Corsini reflects our commitment to Italian farmers and customers in the food, feed and fuel sectors,” Saverio Panico, Bunge country manager for Italy, was quoted as saying.
“It strengthens our ability to source locally while integrating crops from other sources.”
The project included new silo and chain conveyors and the addition of a rear truck unloading facility alongside the existing side unloading facility.
Bunge said the expansion of the Porto Corsini plant would allow the company to increase its purchases of soyabeans produced in Italy’s main agricultural regions, including Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Piedmont, Lombardy and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
The soyabeans would 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 strengthened Ravenna’s role as a hub connecting local harvests to customers throughout Italy and Europe, Bunge said.
Italy is the European Union (EU)’s leading soyabean producer. According to the EU, Italy is projected to harvest 848,000 tonnes of the oilseed in 2026, following three consecutive years of just over 1M tonnes.
In Italy, Bunge operates through several ports and offices, as well as two facilities in Porto Corsini, Ravenna, including the crushing plant where it processes soyabeans to produce vegetable oils and meal for animal feed, a multi-oil refinery, a vegetable oil bottling plant and a biodiesel production plant.
