October 6, 2007
 

URC to expand agribusiness units in 2007

Universal Robina Corp (URC) is expected to expand its agribusiness units engaging in poultry, swine, feeds and veterinary drugs in 2007.

Dr Dante Palabrica, URC's swine business division general manager said that the expansion is a result of company's gains to date and the increase of 10 to 15 percent of their sales this year.

He added that this expansion will coincide with URC's plan to integrate all the marketing functions of its agribusiness companies under one entity--the Robina Agribusiness Partner.

In particular, URC may expand its swine business by another 10,000 heads next year to no less than 104,000 heads. He said that the company's commercial farms have taken the slack for farms hit by the porcine virus early this year but he noted that URC farms have been spared the virus.

URC sells its breeder pigs to backyard raisers and delivers to supermarkets and wet markets for meat products.