Independencia invests in new unit
Frigorífico Independencia has leased an abattoir and boning unit in Colider, Mato Grosso, for R$400,000 (US$250,000) a month for three years. After this, the company may opt to buy the unit – one of the most modern of its kind in Brazil – which belongs to Nova Carne Meat Packers. Operations at the Colider unit are set to start on August 15.
Finance director at Independencia, Tobias Bremer, said that the company eventually hopes to buy the unit with a further investment of R$54 million.
Also this month, the firm’s Confresa unit, also in Mato Grosso, is to start slaughter and its newly acquired Paraguayan unit is to do the same from September. This will increase its slaughter capacity to 10,400 head per day, an increase of 2,000.
"Independencia's strategy is to have industrial units wherever the herd is", said Mr Bremer, "always having the cattle 200km from an abattoir at the most.” Another reason behind the investment is the price of cattle, which is much lower in Mato Grosso than in other parts of the country.
And, although Mr Bremer acknowledged that “the industry is going through a bad phase”, he added that “the company believes in the sector's potential and that it invests to become a leader in the future”.
