MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay: mega integrated beef cattle project announced

Uruguayan representatives of Britain's Breeders & Packers announced this week in Montevideo plans for an abattoir with an annual capacity of 320.000 head of cattle bred in feed lots involving investments of over 100 million US dollars.

"Our target is the vertical integration of the sector, from the genetics to the beef show room of supermarkets", said Roberto Palma head of Carne Hereford the Uruguayan associate of the project that already has invested over 50 million US dollars in farm land and the plots to build the abattoir. "We want the best cattle, Hereford and Angus, bred in a natural environment followed by a state of the art industrial process", said Palma who added that the project also includes their own feed-lot for 25.000 head of cattle. The idea is to kill 320.000 head of cattle annually, 1.200 five days a week, which will help create 600 to 800 jobs with the most added-value possible which "will naturally mean higher prices for stock" underlined Palma. Uruguay has 12 million head of cattle and is a top exporter of quality beef with access to all world markets. In the last twelve months Brazilian food corporations have acquired some of the country's main meat processing plants taking advantage of Uruguay's good sanitary and financial standing in the region. Breeders & Packers decided to move from Argentina to Uruguay taking advantage of the country's stability, clear rules of the game, investment promotion, business friendly atmosphere and a reliable legal system. Mr. Palma also mentioned the commitment of the mayors from the two counties which are to become the areas of major influence of the abattoir and feed lots, and who participated in the launching of the project. Farmers who join the project and the integrated production scheme will receive advice in the fields of genetics, pasture improvement, animal nutrition and vet assistance. Breeders & Packer Meat Uruguay is already exporting meat to UK's supermarkets chains like TESCO and Wallmark from Tacuarembo abbatoir.