MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Frozen potatoes plant in Argentine city of Mar del Plata foresees exports worth US $ 120 million

“There is no import and it is all export,” Noel underlined

The Sociedad Comercial del Plata (SCP) plant in the Argentine city and port of Mar del Plata has announced that following their deal with US company Lamb Weston to build a plant in the General Savio Industrial Park for the production of frozen pre-fried potatoes, a 60% increase in exports was to be expected.

“Today Argentina exports around US $ 200 million of frozen potato products. The project we are talking about is aimed at increasing this export with an investment in the Mar del Plata Industrial Park,” the SCP President Ignacio Noel told Télam.

Noel added that “the plant that we plan would have an export of between US $ 100 million and US $ 120 million.” He also stressed that “in addition, it is a type of production that consumes 100% local inputs.”

“It is not a production where imported raw materials are incorporated. It is the potato that is produced in the southeastern region of the province of Buenos Aires, in Mar del Plata, Balcarce and Tandil. The investment balance is all positive because there is no import and it is all export,” he underlined.

In October 2019, before the pandemic, SCP signed an agreement with Lamb Weston Holdings to enter the international frozen potato market, with the acquisition of 100% of Alimentos Modernos (AMSA), a firm owned by Noel with a plant in the Buenos Aires town of Munro. Thus, the company Lamb Weston Alimentos Modernos was formed, with which the US firm, the largest in the industry in that country, added one more plant to the 26 it has in North American territory.

The new company plans to begin work on the Route 88 site by the end of 2021 in a move that is expected to generate over 3,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, for the General Pueyrredon municipality area where Mar del Plata is located.

Lamb Weston, along with its joint venture partners, is a leading supplier of frozen potatoes, sweet potatoes, snacks and plant products to restaurants, retailers and various fast food chains around the world.