Belgium’s Agristo Eyes $450M Potato Processing Facility in the US
Belgium-based potato processor Agristo is moving closer to establishing a major U.S. presence with plans for a $450 million processing facility in Grand Forks, North Dakota. If approved, the plant would represent one of the largest agricultural investments in the region’s history, creating 300 jobs and significantly expanding the area’s potato production footprint.
The proposed facility—designed to produce frozen potato products such as French fries and hash browns—is expected to be built on land previously intended for a corn milling operation by Fufeng Group. That plan was abandoned, leaving the site available for redevelopment.
For North American growers and processors, the implications are substantial. According to the Northland Potato Growers Association, the region currently supports 120,000 acres of potato cultivation across North Dakota and Minnesota. Agristo’s entry would require an additional 45,000 acres of potato farming to meet projected demand.
“This is probably one of the most exciting things that’s happened in our agricultural business in potatoes in a long, long time,” said Gary Shields of the Northland Potato Growers Association.
Strategic Move to the U.S. Market
Agristo, a family-owned company and one of Europe’s leading suppliers of frozen potato products, ships approximately half of its current output to the United States. Establishing a U.S. production base is seen as a logical next step to reduce shipping costs, eliminate tariffs, and improve market responsiveness.
Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski recently visited Agristo’s Belgian headquarters to tour its processing plants and assess their operations. “It might be more expensive to build out the project, but I think the benefit of being closer to their markets and not paying tariffs will far outweigh that,” he said.
Bochenski was particularly impressed by the integration of Agristo’s facilities into local communities in Belgium, noting the cleanliness and community-friendly design of the plants.
Timeline and Conditions
Although a final development agreement has yet to be signed, city officials are optimistic about the project’s progression. It depends in part on securing $30 million in state funding and establishing a logistics agreement with BNSF Railway to ensure efficient distribution.
If these components fall into place, Agristo could break ground as early as 2026, with operations expected to begin by 2028.
Initially planned for Wisconsin, the project was ultimately won by North Dakota growers, whose efforts helped shift Agristo’s focus to the Red River Valley—one of the most fertile potato-growing regions in the United States.
The investment signals growing international interest in establishing processing infrastructure closer to raw material sources and end consumers, a trend expected to continue as global supply chains evolve.
For both the local economy and the North American potato sector at large, Agristo’s arrival would represent a strategic expansion of processing capacity, acreage, and employment—with ripple effects across farming, transportation, and retail supply chains.
