A Louisiana group wants to buy sugar cane from farmers for an ethanol plant they are constructing from an old sugar mill.

Louisiana Green Fuels Group, which purchased a mill that was closed two years ago, met last week with St. James area growers about plans to construct a facility capable of producing 25 million gallons of ethanol annually from sugar cane. According to the group, farmers who committed to deliver all or a portion of their crop to the plant received bonus checks.

South Louisiana Sugars Co-op president Wilbert Waguespack said, “Having another high-capacity mill in operation will shorten the grinding season for other mills, lengthen our growing season, and increase the value of our crop.”

Roddy Hulett, chief operations officer for LGFG, said bringing the St. James mill back into operation will serve to support and enhance the market for Louisiana sugar cane farmers.