On June 13, a special freight train loaded with bulk soybean meal from LDC’s facilities departed from the Shilong Station in Dongguan, Guangdong, bound for Huaihua West Station and Yongzhou North Station in Hunan, China, marking the official launch of the country’s first train dedicated to the containerized rail transportation of feed ingredients in bulk.
Amid growing demand for meat, eggs, dairy and other animal protein products in China, driven by improved living standards, demand has also steadily grown for soybean meal as a primary plant protein ingredient for animal feed.
Soybean meal transportation previously relied mainly on costly short-distance road transportation and slower, long-distance shipping via waterways. Rail transportation boasts numerous advantages: capacity, reliability, safety and energy savings.
Accordingly, LDC joined forces with local partners, including Guangzhou Railway, COSCO Shipping and key customers, to facilitate rail transportation for bulk soybean meal.
After investigating customer needs, LDC’s two facilities in South China participated in five trial bulk container shipments over six months, culminating in a successful launch in June.
“For every 100 million tons of goods transported over a kilometer by rail, we reduce emissions by 7,500 tons of carbon dioxide, 80 tons of nitrogen oxides and 4 tons of particulate matter,” explains Betty Yang, LDC’s Oilseeds Commercial Director for North Asia. “Through more efficient, reliable and lower carbon transportation, we enhance our ability to meet the needs of regional customers and consumers, while contributing to safer and more sustainable agricultural supply chains.”
LDC also signed agreements to expand the cooperation with Guangzhou Railway and COSCO Shipping, with plans to transport 3,000 tons of bulk soybean meal monthly by rail to meet the needs of inland customers in China.
