MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil targets joining world milk production short list in 5 years

In five years Brazil could climb from seventh to first position as the world's main milk producer, according to Marcus Ellias head of the trust controlling the former Italian dairy giant Parmalat Brazilian branch.

Mr. Ellias took over the Parmalat trust in 2006 and is considered to have a long and successful experience in the restructuring of companies having gone through similar situations with companies such as Gomes da Costa; TendTudo, Camil, Unidas and Eurocash. "We want to be among the main dairy industry corporations in the country and help Brazil become the world's main exporter of dairy produce", said Ellias during an interview with Brazil's financial newspaper Gazzeta Mercantil. However he admitted that there's a long way ahead still. "Our cows produce an average of three liters per day, well below the average of Europe and the United States with 25 and 30 liters", said Ellias who added that as a company "we have to recover our share of the market, which is currently only 13%". Parmalat currently has 15 processing plants in Brazil and operates under the brand names of Parmalat, Gloria, Pocos de Caldas y Alimba. According to Brazil's Statistics office the milk production of the country was 25 billion of liters in 2006 and currently exports the equivalent of 800 million liters annually. United States, the European Union, India are among the world's leading milk producers.