Last month Osage Bio Energy announced that is would be selling its plant without going into production. Had the plant gone online, it would have been the country’s largest biorefinery using barley as its main feedstock. In light of this announcement, Perdue AgriBusiness is assuring its customers that it will honor all contracts for the 2011 barley crop.

Perdue AgriBusiness had an exclusive agreement with Osage Bio Energy to source barley for the Hopewell plant. “Perdue AgriBusiness will honor all barley contracts with producers and Osage Bio Energy’s decision to sell its plant will have no impact on those agreements,” said John Ade, vice president of grain. “In addition, we maintain our long standing ‘you-grow-and-we’ll-buy-it’ policy. Our grain elevators are prepared to receive the local barley harvest.”

Perdue AgriBusiness, a global merchandiser of grains and agricultural commodities, is working with Osage to determine other markets for the barley crop. Ade added, “We will be able to minimize the impact on our company while protecting the local farmers.”