Frimesa aims to triple pig division in Brazil
The Brazilian agricultural cooperative Frimesa recently announced to substantially increase its pig division, which will grow to eventually slaughter 23,300 animals per day. According to Frimesa, it will then be the largest pig operation in Latin America.
The company expects to achieve the number of 23,300 pigs/day in 2032, when the entire project will be finished. The main element of that swine division will be the new facility in Assis Chateaubriand city, Paraná state, which has been under construction since 2017 and will be finished by the end of 2022, occupying 148,000m². The total investment roughly amounts to € 500 million.
Growing pig slaughter capacity
In the first stage of operation, running from 2023-2025, the slaughter capacity will be increased by 3,700 head/day. For the second stage, from 2026-2028, the total additional capacity will increase to become 7,500 head/day, while for the third stage, from 2029-2031, the additional slaughter capacity will grow to 11,200 head/day.
Elias José Zydenk, director of Frimesa, commented, “Currently, Frimesa finishes 8,300 hogs per day. With the forecast of the fourth stage of the new facility, scheduled to be concluded in 2032, 23,300 head will be slaughtered per day, when including the existing operations of the units in Medianeira and Marechal Cândido Rondon.”
Pig farming will have health progress
He said that Frimesa’s finishing capacity therefore is likely to more than triple over the next decade. “Our plan aims to provide opportunities to producers. Pig farming will experience progress both technologically as health-wise, generating pork security for consumers and more income in the production chain.”
The municipality of Assis Chateaubriand is located 150 km from the Frimesa headquarters in Medianeira, Paraná state. The company consists of 5 large cooperatives (Copagril, Lar, C. Vale, Copacol and Primato), mostly located in the west of Paraná.
Larger feed plants, machinery and equipment
The expansion plan also includes investments in the expansion of feed plants, machinery and equipment, as well, in larger herd. Frimesa might increase the number of sows by 166% by 2030, jumping from the current 90,000 to 240,000 sows. Zydek said, “Our share in the Brazilian swine industry today is 6.6%. We intend to reach something between 13% and 14%.”
