SHANGHAI -- US-based agriculture and food company Cargill has started the construction of a new plant that produces premix and animal nutrition products in east China's Jiangxi province, the company said.

With a total investment of approximately 40 million US dollars, the plant covers nearly 48,000 square meters and is expected to be put into operation by the end of 2020.

The plant is expected to produce 120,000 tonnes of premix and 60,000 tonnes of specialty young animal feed annually, according to Cargill.

"Cargill is deeply committed to China's livestock and animal nutrition industry," said John Fering, managing director of Cargill's premix business in China. "This investment brings a world-class facility designed to contribute to a more safe and sustainable food system for China."

Entering the Chinese market in the 1970s, Cargill now has more than 10,000 employees in the Chinese mainland.