February 8, 2007

Aviagen expands presence in Brazil to capture South American market

Top poultry breeder Aviagen is expanding its presences in Brazil and purchasing the poultry breeding facilities and assets of the poultry business unit of Brazil's Agroceres Group.

The purchase is accompanied by the setting up of a new company, Aviagen do Brasil, to serve  the Brazilian market and export territories of Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia.

Huntsville, Alabama-based Aviagen will acquire the assets of three Agroceres Group companies: Agroceres Ross Melhoramento Genctico de Aves S.A., which is currently responsible for the Ross pure line grandparent breeding programme and grandparent sales, Agroceres Avicultura e Nutricao Animal Ltda and Agroceres Genctica e Nutricao Animal Ltda., that currently distribute Ross parent poultry stock.

Agroceres has long been a partner of Aviagen in the distribution of poultry stock for the Brazilian market. Agroceres' other businesses include swine genetics, animal nutrition, along with cultivation of corn and sorghum seed.

The new company would invest in biosecure breeding processes and adopt Aviagen's selection methods and technology to advance product performance. It would also become the third Aviagen grandparent stock supply base, joining other major facilities in the United States and Europe.

Farming operations are located in various locations in Sao Paulo State and Uberaba in Minas Gerais State.