Aviagen^® has invested US$ 27 million over the past two years to increase its grandparent and parent stock production capacity on farms and hatcheries in Brazil. The expanded capacity was needed to meet a growing demand for Aviagen’s Ross^® 308 AP and Ross^® 408 birds used in the production of both breeders and broilers in Latin America.

New house for PS production in Uberaba (left); new GPS production hatchery in Santa Cruz das Palmeiras (centre); and Ivan Lauandos, Aviagen president in Latin America (right).

Facility investments throughout Brazil

Among Aviagen’s recent Brazilian investments are the recent construction of new facilities, as well as the modernisation of existing ones in Brazil’s states of São Paulo (SP) and Minas Gerais (MG). The new and upgraded facilities integrate the latest advances in hatchery design and technology, ensuring the highest biosecurity and energy efficiency. These investments, along with others throughout the country, are helping the company keep pace with a growing demand for its broiler breeding stock.

GPS Production

Santa Cruz das Palmeiras, SP. Completed in June 2018, a new modern grandparent production hatchery in Santa Cruz das Palmeiras boasts an incubation capacity of around 1.5 million eggs per month.

Paraíba Valley, SP. A new grandparent production center in Redenção da Serra in the Paraíba Valley was inaugurated in February of this year, and a grandparent farm in São Luis do Paraitinga, also in the Paraíba Valley, was also recently established.

PS Production

Rio Claro, SP. Completed in July 2017, Aviagen’s hatchery in Rio Claro was upgraded with new and improved equipment, leading to increased production capacity and excellent biosecurity.

Uberaba, MG. Aviagen will also double the production capacity of its parent stock facility in Uberaba in September. The farm will have a modern environment control and breeding system, contributing to improved welfare, better uniformity and higher productivity.

Feed plant

Itaí, SP. In 2016 Aviagen inaugurated a modern feed mill in Itaí, state of Sao Paulo. All feed is heat-treated to eliminate potential pathogens and provide the highest-quality feed to maintain the excellent health status of Aviagen’s poultry breeding stock. Additionally, the new feed mill follows strict company biosecurity protocols to ensure the feed is free from contaminants.

"Aviagen is totally committed to continuous investment to improve quality and efficiency of our Brazilian operations. Our new state-of-the-art hatcheries and farms throughout the country are proof of this commitment," explains Ivan Pupo Lauandos, president of Aviagen Latin America. “We also intend to invest in clean and renewable energy in our farms and hatcheries, in line with our long-term sustainability vision to preserve the environment.”

Strategic market for Aviagen

Latin America has emerged as a leader in the global poultry industry. Brazil is the second largest poultry meat producer globally and the world’s largest exporter, and Latin America boasts three of the world’s top 10 broiler companies. From a breeder perspective, Latin America represents close to 22 percent of the estimated 540 million parent stock chicks currently produced worldwide, contributing about 100 million parent stock chicks per year, and approximately 50 percent of this number is placed in Brazil.

"Latin America is a powerful player in the world’s poultry landscape, and is therefore very important to Aviagen’s global strategy. We’re focusing major effort on developing our business in this region, and will continue our strong investment well into the future,” adds Lauandos.

Ross birds bring economic and market benefits

The Ross brand has increased in popularity in Brazil and throughout Latin America due to the significant value it adds at the grandparent, parent and broiler levels. Ross birds are distinguished by superior performance, as well as quality, health and welfare.

Their growth rate, livability and feed efficiency offer considerable economic benefits. As an example, the Ross 308 AP stands out for its superior production efficiency compared to the other products on the market. The Ross 308 AP offers excellent feed conversion ratio under various environmental conditions and breeding systems.

Another advantage that Aviagen introduces to markets is the world’s greatest selection of breeding stock to satisfy diverse market demands. This variety, which includes the Ross 308 AP, Ross 408, Ross 308, Arbor Acres Plus and Arbor Acres Max, has also contributed to the company's growth in Brazil and throughout Latin America.

About Aviagen

Aviagen^® is a global poultry breeding company that develops pedigree lines for the production of commercial broiler chickens under the Arbor Acres^®, Indian River^®, and Ross^® brand names. The Rowan Range^® and Specialty Males® are specialty breeding stock from Aviagen that offer greater flexibility for customers to meet specific or niche market requirements. The company is based in Huntsville, Alabama, USA with a number of wholly-owned operations across the United Kingdom, Europe, Turkey, Latin America, India, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S.A., and joint ventures in Asia. Aviagen employs more than 4,600 people and has a distribution network serving customers in more than 100 countries.

For further information, please visit www.aviagen.com.