Delaware, Ohio – Ohio Corn & Wheat voices concern following the announcement that Cargill will gradually close its Dayton facility in the coming months, impacting employees, farm families, and the Miami Valley.
“Our thoughts are with the employees and families affected by this decision,” said Tadd Nicholson, Executive Director of Ohio Corn & Wheat. “But this is also a major setback for Ohio’s agricultural economy and a direct hit to farmers who have relied on the Dayton facility as a critical market for their grain.”
Ohio Corn & Wheat reiterated that the closure comes at a time when farmers are already under intense financial pressure from high input costs, volatile markets, and continued uncertainty in farm policy.
“When you remove a market like this, it forces longer hauls, higher costs, and fewer options at a time when margins are already razor thin,” said Nicholson.
Nicholson said this closure reinforces what farmers already know: without consistent growth in demand for corn and biofuels, farmers are at risk, and so are the rural communities that depend on them.
“When we fail to grow demand and expand markets, this is the result,” Nicholson added. “Facilities close, opportunities disappear, and rural communities take the hit. Expanding E15 nationwide is a clear way to strengthen demand and preserve infrastructure. Congress needs to do its job and pass E15 now, before it’s too late for more agriculture-based businesses.”
Despite the announcement, Ohio Corn & Wheat believes the Dayton facility still holds significant value and should not be overlooked.
“With approximately 5-10% of Ohio’s corn production passing through this facility, it’s too crucial to lose,” Nicholson said. “This site is important to farmers in Southwest Ohio, and we won’t sit back and watch it close without fighting to keep corn processing there and pushing for policies that encourage investment and keep facilities like this open and profitable.
