With an annual capacity of 40 million day-old chicks per year, the new facility will be the largest single stage facility in the region, supporting Frango Natto’s expanding operations in the north while also representing a substantial boost for the poultry sector in this part of the country.

Pas Reform do Brasil will supply 24 SmartSetPro™ 6 setters, 24 SmartHatchPro™ hatchers and a complete hatchery HVAC system to provide total environmental control throughout the new hatchery. In addition, all design drawings for the green field project have been supplied by Pas Reform do Brasil.

Construction was scheduled to begin in June 2014 for the hatchery to be fully operational by the end of the year.

Family-owned Frango Natto has served the Northeast region of Brazil for the last 15 years and currently exports to the Middle East and Asia.

Owner Markos Notaro commented: “This is a logical step that will complete our poultry integration.

“With the Company’s heritage stemming originally from feedmill operations, we understand the importance of feed conversion ratios in the integration. We have watched Pas Reform’s expansion in Brasil and also in the rest of Latin America in recent years, and on speaking with other users of the Company’s Smart™ hatchery technologies, all have highlighted improvements in feed conversion ratios when moving to single stage incubation with Pas Reform.”

Pas Reform do Brasil’s Thomas Calil has been pivotal to developing the partnership with Frango Natto.

He said: “This is an ambitious project for a customer that is focused on market leadership through quality at every level of its integrated operations.

“The combination of advanced, results-orientated Smart hatchery technologies, as well as sophisticated hatchery automation and climate control systems and Pas Reform do Brasil’s unwavering commitment to service has enabled us to become a dominant player in the Brazilian market in just five years – and we look forward to continuing our expansion with projects of this calibre.”