VALLEY CITY, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today marked the grand opening of the Columbia Grain Pulse Processing Plant in Valley City. The 11,000 sq. ft. facility has the capacity to process 40,000 tons of pulse crops per year, including dry edible beans, peas and lentils. Hoeven stressed that value-added investments like this new facility reinforce the state’s role as a leader in pulse production. North Dakota is the nation’s top producer of dry edible beans, with the state’s farmers having grown 423,247 metric tons of this commodity in 2025, while being a leading producer of dry peas and lentils as well.
Hoeven also outlined how such a facility helps to strengthen the farm economy, as it provides a local market for North Dakota’s producers. Supporting value-added agriculture, including through initiatives like year-round E15 sales, is one of the ways the senator is working to expand domestic demand for U.S. agriculture producers. “This pulse processing plant is an exciting opportunity for North Dakota farmers, giving them a convenient, local market for the high-quality crops they produce. By expanding domestic demand for U.S.-produced ag commodities, we can make the farm economy more resilient against challenging international market conditions, like our farmers are facing right now,” said Hoeven.
