Inside Missouri’s Food and Ag Investments: A Missouri Soybean Farmer Magazine Feature

• September 03, 2025

Excerpt from Missouri Soybean Farmer, August 2025

Missouri: Attracting Investment at the Intersection of Food & Ag Innovation

Missouri has become a national standout for companies in the food and ag space – not just because of its location or natural resources, but because of the way the state supports innovation, infrastructure, and long-term growth. Recent wins across the state highlight a clear trend: Missouri is helping companies grow stronger. In an extremely competitive landscape, Missouri Partnership is collaborating with statewide partners to win business attraction deals that are shaping the future of the state and the industry.

Recent Investment from Global Companies:

• Beck’s soybean seed processing facility in New Madrid – The largest family-owned retail seed company in the U.S. broke ground on a new soybean seed processing facility in November 2024. The state-of-the-art facility will have a processing capacity of 3 million units of soybeans per year. It will also feature additional warehouse space and seed storage, ensuring that Beck’s can effectively meet the needs of farmers in the area. The facility is projected to be fully operational by fall 2026. Beck’s decision to operate in Missouri underscores the state’s role as a hub for soybean genetics and processing.
• American Foods Group (AFG) beef processing plant in Warren County – In 2025, American Foods Group (AFG) launched operations at its new $800 million, 775,000-square-foot beef processing facility in Warren County. At full capacity, the plant is expected to employ 1,300 people with an annual payroll of $80 million, generating an estimated $1 billion in annual economic impact for Missouri. This project exemplifies how Missouri remains competitive in high-value animal protein processing.
• JBS Foods doubles down in Missouri – JBS Foods is a global, diversified protein company with facilities worldwide. The company first expanded into Missouri in May 2021 when it opened Swift Prepared Foods in Moberly. The new $68 million facility produces ready-to-eat, fully cooked bacon. After having a positive experience in the state, the company selected Missouri once again for another subsidiary, Principe Foods. They invested more than $200 million in the new 325,000 sq. ft. Italian meats and charcuterie production facility in Columbia, reinforcing Missouri’s reputation in specialty meat manufacturing.
• Ostara’s Crystal Green® fertilizer plant – The Canadian-founded company selected Missouri for its new $17 million Crystal Green® fertilizer production facility. After a competitive search, Ostara executives chose St. Louis due to its thriving and innovative agtech ecosystem, world-class educational institutions, and central location.

Feeding long‑term capacity

Beyond projects that make headlines, Missouri Partnership is dedicated to empowering economic development partners across the state through its Capacity-Building program. Recently, five communities participated in the organization’s Raise the Bar – Assess initiative, which aims to strengthen communities’ competitiveness for business attraction. Missouri Partnership collaborated with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority (MASBDA), and Missouri Farmers Care on the initiative. A core component of Raise the Bar – Assess is an intensive mock site visit that mimics food & beverage business attraction projects. Hannibal, Jefferson City, Kirksville, Moberly, and Springfield participated in the program to sharpen their readiness for future food and ag investors.

For the full article, pick up the August edition of Missouri Soybean Farmer magazine.