Darling enters offtake agreement with Cattlemen’s Heritage, plans to expand nearby rendering plant

Darling Ingredients Inc. announced Feb. 14 that it has entered into an agreement with Cattlemen’s Heritage Beef Co. to purchase the offtake from its planned 2,000-head-per-day beef-processing facility in Mills County, Iowa.

Darling Ingredients also announced that it intends to expand its nearby Bellevue, Nebraska, rendering plant to increase receiving and processing capacity.

“This agreement further strengthens Darling Ingredients’ ability to deliver high-quality protein, as global demand continues to increase, and it will also provide additional feedstock for our renewable diesel production and recently announced investment in sustainable aviation fuel production,” said Randall C. Stuewe, chairman and CEO of Darling Ingredients. “As an integral part of the circular economy, we share Cattlemen’s Heritage’s commitment to sustainability and are proud to be part of this project that will bring significant economic benefits to the Midwest.”

Chad Tentinger, lead developer for Cattlemen’s Heritage, said, “As the world’s leading producer of sustainable, organic ingredients and an innovator in a challenging and ever-changing business, Darling Ingredients is absolutely the best choice for us. Its front-line people have a solid record as responsible transporters and next-step processors of offtake, and that factored heavily into our decision.”

Cattlemen’s Heritage Beef Co. aims to provide a market for cattle raised by smaller, independent cattle producers.

It plans to break ground on its Mills County beef-processing plant this spring, with the goal of starting operations before the end of 2024.

The Mills County facility is expected to bring around 800 jobs to the area and has a projected economic gain for Iowa of up to $8 billion over the next five years.

Darling Ingredients is the largest publicly traded company turning edible byproducts and food waste into sustainable products and a leading producer of renewable energy.

Recognized as a sustainability leader, the company operates more than 270 plants in 17 countries and repurposes approximately 15 percent of the world’s meat industry waste streams into value-added products such as green energy, renewable diesel, collagen, fertilizer, animal proteins and meals, and pet food ingredients.