Ralston Restart Signals Support and Opportunity for Biodiesel and Iowa Soybean Farmers

Ralston Restart Signals Support and Opportunity for Biodiesel and Iowa Soybean Farmers

November 12, 2026

Ankeny, Iowa - Iowa Soybean Association President Lee Brooke offers the following statement on today's announcement regarding the planned reopening of Chevron's biodiesel plant in Ralston:

"The intended reopening of the Ralston biodiesel plant is welcome news for Iowa farmers, and another positive step toward strengthening domestic markets for Iowa-grown soybeans. Iowa farmers benefit when locally-produced soybeans are processed into value-added products that support our state's biofuels industry and the broader ag economy. Landus Cooperative's Ralston facility plays an important role in this effort, creating demand for more than 28 million bushels of soybeans annually for farmers and producing high-quality bypass protein meal for the dairy industry. We must continue to support strong, consistent biofuels policies that provide the certainty producers need to invest, operate and grow. Maintaining policies that encourage renewable fuel production is essential to building long-term demand for soybeans and strengthening farm profitability."

Biomass-based diesel represents a critical market for Iowa-grown soybeans, supporting soybean prices, farm income and economic vitality in our rural communities. Iowa is the nation's leading producer of biodiesel and soybean oil. Iowa processes approximately 85% of our soybean crop locally into meal and oil, with most of the soybean oil used in the production of biomass-based diesel.

ISA continues to invest in the business climate that makes announcements like this possible by leveraging checkoff and non-checkoff resources to improve soybean production, expand markets and develop new uses like biofuels, while advocating for state and federal policies that support biodiesel production and usage.

To learn more, visit iasoybeans.com.

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Not funded by the soybean checkoff.

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