Louis Dreyfus Co. breaks ground on Qingdao Food Technology Park in China
The planned facility will integrate oilseeds crushing, production of food-grade lecithin, and processing of specialty feed proteins
CHINA – Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) has commenced construction on its new Qingdao Food Technology Park in Dongjiakou, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.
The groundbreaking ceremony held on June 26 marks a key milestone in LDC’s strategy to enhance its footprint in China’s agri-food sector and reinforce its long-term commitment to the market.
The planned facility will integrate oilseeds crushing, production of food-grade lecithin, and processing of specialty feed proteins. The company said the development aligns with its broader strategy to build on its core merchandizing capabilities while extending its downstream value chain in China.
The Qingdao Food Technology Park is slated for completion in 2027 and will span 153,000 square meters. LDC projects annual production capacities of 1.5 million tonnes of feed protein, 370,000 tonnes of refined oil, and 15,000 tonnes of lecithin. The facility is expected to create approximately 200 new jobs.
“Qingdao Food Technology Park is another significant development in LDC’s growth journey in the country and underlines the Group’s long-term commitment to the Chinese market, where we have been active for over 50 years,” said Jerrity Chen, Head of North Asia at LDC.
“With this project, we further deepen our local presence and support for the transformation and growth of China’s agri-food industry, helping to build a safe, resilient and sustainable supply chain.”
Strategically located in Qingdao’s Dongjiakou Economic Zone, the site offers direct access to a deep-water port that connects to more than 700 ports across 180 countries. The zone also features advanced logistics and warehousing systems, positioning it as a regional hub for bulk commodity processing and trade.
According to Chen Shandong Province, as China’s leading agricultural region with a 2024 annual output of RMB 1.28 trillion (US$178 billion) from farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery, is a strategic location for the new park, which will serve as an important industrial base for LDC, from which to supply East China and broader Northeast Asia markets with high-quality, value-added products and solutions for food and feed customers.
The project follows LDC’s recent expansion in China with the launch of a specialty feed lecithin production line at its Tianjin facility in May. Opened in 2018, the Tianjin site includes a crushing capacity of 4,000 tonnes of soybeans per day and an oil refining capacity of 1,200 tonnes per day.
The new lecithin line at Tianjin enables LDC to offer customized feed solutions, further cementing its role in China’s feed and food ingredient market.
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