SC Ports, SC Dept. of Agriculture work with industry to boost soybean exports

When a large soybean processing facility in South Carolina suddenly closed last spring, erasing demand for millions of bushels of soybeans from area farmers, SC Ports partnered with the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) and private stakeholders to quickly develop export outlets around the world.

As a result of this collaboration, South Carolina farmers were able to quickly work through the surplus, exporting more than three million bushels of soybeans through the Port of Charleston between May and August.

Soybeans were loaded in shipping containers at grain facilities near the coast and around Inland Port Dillon, which moved more than 2,800 export containers, boosting exports at the facility by 35% for the first two months of fiscal year 2026.

“Everyone involved — shippers, traders, grain facilities, logistics service providers—showed great commitment in working through a challenging situation,” said SC Ports President and CEO Phil Padgett. “We’re also grateful to the ocean carriers, including Evergreen, CMA-CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, and ONE, that engaged commercially to support the effort. As the 2025 harvest approaches, we look to build on this momentum into the new season with new soybean export consolidation capacity.”

The SCDA was directly engaged in supporting the program, by coordinating with agribusinesses.

“By working together, we were able to quickly develop new soybean markets and make a real difference for South Carolina farmers this year,” said South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers. “SC Ports’ work to develop the Inland Port Dillon in recent years is a huge benefit to the agribusiness industry. In addition, I thank the General Assembly for authorizing the Growing Agribusiness Fund, which has allowed us to move nimbly to bolster our agribusiness industry.”

SCDA is using the Growing Agribusiness Fund, established in 2023, to incentivize other projects in support of soybean farmers, including the expansion of South Carolina Farm Bureau’s Anderson Elevator.

The state’s farmers harvested 390,000 acres of soybeans last year, making it South Carolina’s largest crop by acreage.

SC Ports opened Inland Port Dillon in 2018 to provide importers and exporters with a direct connection to the Port of Charleston via CSX.