April 12, 2007

 

Thailand's Betagro to invest US$77.1 million to expand feed operations

 

 

Thai livestock and animal feed producer Betagro Group plans to invest as much as THB2.7 billion (US$77.1 million) to increase feed production within the next year, Chief Executive Officer Vanus Taepaisitphongse said Thursday.

 

The company will build a 30,000-tonne-a-year animal feed plant at its complex in Nakhon Ratchasima province at a cost of THB1 billion, and construction is scheduled for completion in 2008.

 

Betagro will also invest THB1.5 billion to build a 30,000-tonne-a-year cooked processed chicken factory in Lob Buri province.

 

Betagro has nine feed factories that produce a total of 1 million tonnes of animal feed annually, and the group's feed grain business is expected to grow by an average of 7 percent annually, Vanus said.

 

Thailand produces about 10 million tonnes of animal feed annually.

 

Betagro will also invest THB200 million to more than double production capacity of aquaculture feed at its factory in Lampoon to 18,000 tonnes, from 8,500 tonnes, Vanus said.

 

In addition to hiking its feed production capacity, Betagro plans to expand its chicken, pig and animal health products businesses in response to rising export demand, Vanus said.

 

The company will next month complete upgrading the capacity of its processed packaged pork factory to 2,000 pigs a day from 1,200 pigs a day.

 

In 2007, Betagro expects its revenue to rise 15 percent on-year to THB33 billion, of which THB26 billion will be from local sales and THB7 billion from exports.