BELGIUM – Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski is touring potato processing plants in Belgium to see their infrastructure and how they operate.
Bochenski adds Agristo is looking at possibly putting the plant at the site of where the Chinese company Fufeng wanted to put a corn milling plant near Grand Forks. The City Council approved Fufeng’s plans. Public opposition led to a federal review and the Air Force came out against Fufeng ownership over spying concerns at Grand Forks Air Force Base. The city then abandoned the project.
Belgium company Agristo has announced it will build its first potato processing plant in the United States near Grand Forks. It would employ 250 people and provide a local market for up to 15,000 acres of planted potatoes.
“They haven’t made the final decision on the land yet, but they’re looking at that site and it’s a Belgian company. The Belgians are pretty friendly with us the last time I checked,” Bochenski explained.
North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong has a bill on his desk that would allow Agristo to apply for a grant worth up to $30 million and use it for infrastructure, site acquisition, and capital expenditures for the Grand Forks site. The grant would be paid out in two parts with the first half received once a certificate of occupancy is issued, and the other half given once the plant reaches 50 percent production capacity.
