TEMCO Tacoma grain facility

Cargill and CHS operate the TEMCO Tacoma grain facility.

Cargill Inc. and CHS Inc. (CHSCP) are in talks to expand an existing joint venture in the Pacific Northwest, which is becoming increasingly important as a gateway for grain exports to Asia.

Cargill, one of the world’s largest grain merchandisers, and CHS, the largest U.S. farmer cooperative, said the talks are driven by demand for wheat, feed grains and oilseeds into Asia. They currently operate TEMCO, LLC, which consists of an export terminal in Tacoma, Wash.

The announcement comes a month after Cargill and rival Louis Dreyfus Commodities said they would end a 10-year-old joint venture that exported grain from the Midwest. At the time, both companies said they planned to maintain a presence in the Pacific Northwest export market.

From Dow Jones Newswires