Cargill starts shipping sugar from Louisiana Sugar Refining

Cargill has started shipping sugar from Louisiana Sugar Refining (LSR), of which it holds a one-third stake, the company has said.

The construction of a $145m sugar refinery in Gramercy, Louisiana was a three-way split investment between Cargill, the Imperial Sugar Company and Sugar Growers and Refiners (SUGAR), and was finalized in November 2009.

Cargill has said that expanding into US sugar refining is part of its long-term strategy to become a “one-stop sweetener provider” for food manufacturers.

President of Cargill Corn Milling North America Alan Willits said: "LSR is a key element in our sweetener supply strategy, and the LSR asset will fit nicely into the portfolio of products we bring to the market. We are very happy to have the refinery producing sugar."

Cargill is the exclusive marketer of the industrial-use sugar produced by the refinery.