Cargill is handing off its aquafeed mill in Franklinton, Louisiana, putting a 35,000-ton facility under the control of a family-owned Texas seafood company. Bowers-Saha Nutrition, which sells under the Homegrown Seafood label, says the plant will stay online and that existing staff are expected to remain during the transition. Company leaders say the deal moves them closer to full vertical integration across their southeast Texas farms. The sale price and closing timeline have not been made public, according to SeafoodSource.
Deal announced at Aquaculture America conference
The transaction was revealed by Homegrown Seafood business manager Mark Kubecka at the Aquaculture America 2026 conference, where he told attendees that “Cargill sought us out” as a buyer. As reported by SeafoodSource, the Franklinton mill is being sold in an undisclosed transaction and has an annual capacity of about 35,000 tons. Kubecka told the outlet that Bowers-Saha has a consulting agreement with Cargill to help steer the handover.
Buyer is a growing family operation
Bowers-Saha, based in Palacios, Texas, farms Pacific white shrimp, red drum, hybrid striped bass and catfish, and has flagged plans to add tilapia, according to Homegrown Seafood. The company’s 2022 acquisition of Ekstrom Aquaculture, which brought additional processing and integrated farming capacity into the fold, was disclosed in a transaction notice by Statesman.
Operations and continuity
Bowers-Saha says it will keep buying Cargill nutrition blends, including rations, pre-mixes and vitamins, and expects the plant’s current operators to stay on through the ownership shift. SeafoodSource quoted Kubecka saying the two companies have set up a consulting arrangement to maintain product quality and “hope that it’s a seamless transition.” Company officials cast the deal as a way to plug supply-chain gaps where they had been buying feed from third parties.
What this says about Cargill
The move fits into a broader pattern of Cargill reworking its aquaculture portfolio to focus on markets and assets that line up with long-term plans. Bloomberg reported last year that the company had been reassessing, and in some cases exiting, aquafeed operations overseas as part of a larger restructuring. Industry watchers say selling regional mills to established local operators is one way global suppliers trim overhead while still keeping feed available for farmers.
What it means locally
For Franklinton and nearby growers, the headline for now is stability. The buyer’s promise to retain staff and maintain production lowers the odds of a sudden feed crunch. The Franklinton mill has been operating in recent years, with an automation vendor detailing its startup, and Bowers-Saha’s purchase keeps that regional capacity in private hands, according to Repete. Observers say Gulf Coast aquaculture outfits that depend on steady, close-to-home feed supplies will be watching how the transition plays out.
