Pioneering Black Possession within the Agricultural Provide Chain

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Within the center of Mississippi’s second-leading county for crop manufacturing, ancient Bolivar County, Delta Diamond Ag LLC stands as the primary Black-owned multi-grain elevator, following a contemporary acquisition.

Led through Leigh Allen, whose circle of relatives’s roots span 5 generations within the Delta, Delta Diamond is an emblem of heritage and development. It’s additionally a reminder of the urgent want for extra Black-owned production and processing amenities within the agricultural provide chain.

Delta Diamond boasts a powerful infrastructure with a 400,000-bushel concrete elevator, a contemporary seed cleansing plant, warehousing features, and an extra 2.8 acres earmarked for long term growth alternatives. Their amenities can obtain a lot of grains, together with corn, soybeans, rice, yellow box peas, and extra.

What’s extra, their in depth community of growers permits them to supply contract rising products and services, cementing their function as a a very powerful participant in bettering Black possession and illustration within the agricultural provide chain.

On this interview, we’ll dive deeper into Leigh’s outstanding adventure, the purchase of Large River Grain Co, their dedication to sustainability, and plans for the longer term.

What used to be the muse in the back of founding Delta Diamond?

The inspiration of Delta Diamond used to be pushed through the popularity that being vertically built-in and having a diversification of value-added services and products used to be crucial in mitigating possibility.

Because the agriculture business continues to conform in tendencies corresponding to consolidation; digitalization; and regenerative farming, I assumed that it used to be important to be sure that we had been on the desk no longer simplest as manufacturers however, as homeowners of the sort of facility. The appreciation and want to be engaged in agriculture used to be instilled in me at an overly younger age by means of a multi-generational circle of relatives historical past in row crop manufacturing within the Arkansas Delta.

The purchase of Large River Grain Co. is an important milestone. What strategic issues resulted in this resolution?

Mainly, location and get right of entry to: our facility is situated within the Mississippi River Delta which as a area makes use of upwards of 60 p.c of its land for agricultural functions. The ability is situated simplest 17 miles from the Mississippi River Port of Rosedale and 100 miles south of Memphis, TN.

Cleveland is situated in Bolivar County, Mississippi’s second-leading county in the case of crop manufacturing, and is subsequent door to the ancient the city of Mound Bayou, which nonetheless to at the present time has a distinguished function in agriculture and is house to Alcorn State College’s Extension/Analysis Farm & Era Switch Heart. In the end, for us to succeed in our targets it’s crucial that we manage to pay for all growers the similar stage of shopper provider irrespective of their background or the scale in their farming operations.

Secondly, the experience and relationships that the Delta Diamond group possesses has enabled us to be well-positioned to paintings with attainable companies and international international locations as a provider and spouse.

In any case, the truth that we occur to be minority-owned we are hoping will function a plus to these taking into consideration doing trade with us, then again, on the finish of the day we needless to say it’s our efficiency and customer support which is able to distinguish us from our competition. Thankfully, our cumulative observe file demonstrates simply that, and we stay fascinated by construction upon the ones previous successes.

Changing into the primary Black-owned multi-grain elevator and seed cleansing facility within the U.S. is a outstanding fulfillment. How do you intend to leverage this distinctive place?

Thanks kindly. We’re cognizant of this fulfillment and imagine it a blessing. That being mentioned, Delta Diamond is in talks with a number of main company entities and manufacturers as we discover mutually advisable collaborative tasks. We are hoping to carry alongside the following technology of Black agribusiness marketers.

Many other people have written off the Mid-South, in particular because it pertains to the Delta area. We admire the facility to paintings with a company like S3 Procurement Products and services in carrying out this function. That doesn’t negate the truth that a substantial portion of the most productive folks and toughest staff I do know have Delta roots and this can be a likelihood to focus on that to the sector.

May you elaborate at the sustainable practices and projects your corporate plans to put in force within the agricultural sector?

We now have already been lively in main and taking part in analysis box trials for merchandise corresponding to non-GMO soybeans. We for sure imagine {that a} marketplace exists for non-GMOs and uniqueness grains in very best puts the place it is sensible. That is in the end predicated on keeping up or making improvements to each productiveness and/or profitability for the manufacturer.

For the ones corporations and manufacturers that do really feel it’s possible and strategically advisable to their operations, Delta Diamond desires to be a synergistic spouse in the ones sustainable ag efforts. As for the power, we’re searching for to include the newest applied sciences like cloud-based research, AI, and renewable power which is able to permit us to cut back power prices whilst running in an effective and efficient way.

Moreover, we will be able to help our grower companions in figuring out top class alternatives and applied sciences that can supply some other software in earnings technology that would possibly not were in the past available to her or him.

Taking a look forward, what are your long term plans and aspirations for Delta Diamond?

Close to time period, our instant consideration is executing the related certifications and licenses wanted for no longer simplest warehousing grain however exporting as effectively. Through doing so it is going to place us to broaden and develop our core trade. We sit up for running with native stakeholders such because the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Trade, and the larger group, and contributing to the continuing financial revitalization taking place in Cleveland.

Taking a look additional out, we would like in an effort to transfer into meals processing and that’s the place the logistical infrastructure of Memphis comes into play. I imagine that town of Memphis provides some beautiful spectacular features to Delta Diamond and our plans for growth and upscaling.

Within the intervening time, we’re firmly dedicated to running on having a a success operation. We are hoping that Delta Diamond will function an inspiration to others who might need to go back and forth down the proverbial “street much less traveled” of their respective business.