June 21, 2006

British company Frigo Class opens meat facility in Brazil
 

British Company Frigo Class Alimentos announced plans for an industrial plant and cattle slaughter unit in the city of São Gabriel, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.

The company has already purchased a meat packing plant in the city of Promissão, in the state of São Paulo, and now intends to invest 80 million reals (US$36 million) in this new project.

The plant, to be operational, next year would produce stewed beef for export. It is expected to have a capacity of 300 to 400 tonnes of cooked beef a week.

A slaughterhouse capable of handling 1,000 heads of cattle a day would also come online next year. 

The company aims to produce quality meats in the plants. Brazil is commonly viewed as a mass producer of beef at cheap prices. However, S¨¦rgio Figueiredo, president of Frigo Class, believes the country can also compete on quality.

The company is owned by Briton Terry Johnson. He also owns Kroonenburg Projecten, which produces cattle beef in Australia and Argentina.

Johnson sold his meat operations in Europe to operate in countries that have large herds.