"Tyson do Brasil's target is to expand domestic market sales in the south region of Brazil, in the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul," the company said in a statement emailed to Meatingplace. "Regarding international sales, our main goal is to get the export certification to all three plants in order to open the market as much as we can."

According to Meatingplace, the statement followed remarks by Tyson do Brasil's President Vitor Hugo Brandalise at a government agriculture committee meeting. "We are going to invest here (Brazil), focusing on poultry then adding value with pigs... in a final stage we will enter the beef segment," Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico quoted him as saying.

In 2008, Tyson acquired three poultry companies in southern Brazil to form Tyson do Brasil. Tyson's plan since the purchase has been to vertically integrate the operations to supply domestic growth in addition to serving as an export platform to Europe and other markets, according to the 2009 Tyson Fact Book.

The company has already invested about $137 million (250 million Brazilian real) and has a further $22 million (40 million real) to spend before the end of the current fiscal year in July, according to Valor Economico.