MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

New lamb facilities in Patagonia Argentine Beef Packers expands further

Argentine Beef Packers opened its first lamb export plant in 2002 in Esquel which was very successful, despite the long distance in bringing lambs up from Santa Fe.

The company also opened a new lamb plant in Rio Gallegos in January this year with a capacity of 5000 lamb per day and are in advanced stages of opening another plant in Comodoro Rivadavia with state of the art technology from New Zealand and England which should come on stream in 2006.

The company states that this will be the most modern plant in the southern hemisphere.

As to beef operations, the company has four plants: two in Rosario, one in Yaguana and the regional headquarters in Hurlingham, this is complemented by new facilities in Lujan where the company prepacks for supermarket shelves.

Argentine Beef Packers President William Hayes attributes most of the company's success to its direct marketing policy, a policy that was proven after the government hiked export taxes on beef products by 15 percent and yet the company continued to export to its customers.

ABP has adopted a new approach to hiring, that Hayes says is the most rewarding. The company takes in some 15 young people at a time from shanty towns and trains them at the company's Luján complex and pay them a wage during the 16-week training period. After that they are hired as full members of staff.

As Hayes concluded "Many people ridiculed our bold ambitions in 2002, today they want a share of the action!" (BAH)