Aurora: High-tech feed factory for 20% more feed

16-11-2020 | | |
The Aurora headquarters in Chapecó, Santa Catarina state. - Photo: Aurora
The Aurora headquarters in Chapecó, Santa Catarina state. - Photo: Aurora

The Brazilian cooperative Aurora will build a large, high-tech feed factory for poultry and pigs in Erechim, Rio Grande do Sul state, for an amount of US$?10.9 million. This was recently announced by the company’s livestock director.

The unit will be placed at the highway ERS-331, between Erechim and Gaurama city, on an area of 17ha, which was bought for US$ 600,000. Rio Grande do Sul state is Brazil’s southernmost state – and known for its livestock production, together with Paraná and Santa Catarina.

Completion of the feed plant by mid-2022

The construction starts in January 2021, and is estimated to be completed by mid-2022. The new plant will have the capacity to produce 60 tonnes of feed per hour or 35,000 tonnes per month for both poultry and pigs. This means a 20% increase of their current feed producing capacity.

The cooperative also plans the construction of 4 steel silos for grain storage in that complex, with a static capacity of 10,000 tonnes each. The total storage capacity of 40,000 tonnes would equal 660,000 sacks.

Modern automated procedures

The unit will employ completely automated procedures using modern national and imported equipment including software, robotics and remote controls in order to produce the pellets. Still it is expected that the unit could create 80 direct and 240 indirect jobs initially and that might go up to 400 eventually.

The plant will supply Aurora Cooperative’s integrated farmers in Rio Grande do Sul, that serve 3 slaughter and processing plants in Erechim (poultry and pigs) and Sarandi (pigs). Those plants in Rio Grande do Sul finish about 1 million pigs and 26 million birds per year. The cooperative currently maintains 6 poultry and pig feed plants with a capacity of 175,000 tonnes per month.

5.2 million head of swine per year

In total, Aurora Alimentos has 7 pig plants processing 5.2 million head per year and 8 poultry slaughter plants, which slaughter 242.6 million head per year. These plants are located in Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul.

Azevedo
Daniel Azevedo Freelance journalist Brazil