Marfrig plans two mega feedlots to ensure beef supply
Argentina’s meat processing group, Quickfood belonging to the giant Brazilian corporation Marfrig has purchased 150 hectares in the province of Cordoba to establish one of the largest feedlots in the country.
The US$20 million project will have a feeding capacity for 22.000 cattle and is part of the Brazilian corporation’s expansion in Argentina.
A second feedlot complex is planned for the province of Buenos Aires. Once established the feedlots are expected to cover 15% of the Argentine annual demand for cattle, said Miguel Gorelik of Quickfood.
Quickfood’s operation comes at a crossroads in cattle farming since an intense drought and better profit opportunities in agriculture had considerably reduced Argentina’s cattle heard and land dedicated to livestock.
Argentina’s herd traditonally has been in the range of 55 to 58 million head but is now below 50 million and slaughter statistics show an abnormal percentage of cows which means calves missing in the coming years.
The project is expected to create 300 full jobs and once in full production would be consuming 124 tonnes of cattle feed per day for fattening.
Argentina is one of the world’s leading exporters of beef but the government has restricted exports to ensure the domestic market supply. Argentines are the top world consumers of beef.
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