Global food company Cargill is set to expand the capacity of its Songyuan corn processing facility in Jilin province, China, with an investment of $112m.

The plant is part of a joint project with the Songyuan Government called the Sino-US Cargill Biotech Industrial Park, which will feature a Cargill Food Safety and Technology Center.

The centre will focus on testing, research and training in the area of food safety.

Additionally, it will focus on process improvements and product development for the corn processing and food ingredients industries.

Cargill China president Jerry Liu said: “The park welcomes companies across the corn processing and trading value chain. They will enjoy convenient services and easy access to resources at the park, including a supply chain to connect their products with the domestic and overseas market.

“We are grateful for the ongoing support of Jilin and Songyuan governments as we continue to invest in this region, working with the government, partners and farmers to meet customer demands.”

Spread over 3.71 million square metres of land area, the park will facilitate both corn processing and trading, with a processing capability of up to two million tonnes per year by 2020.

Going further, the park will feature warehouses to accommodate commodities such as corn and starches.

Cargill noted that it will continue to invest in the park in the coming years to boost the local economy and corn processing industry.

In January, Cargill announced plans to invest over $200m in Pakistan in the next three to five years.

Recently, the company announced an investment of $40m in Yichun to construct an animal nutrition plant.