BRAZIL-MEAT PACKER RE-OPENS BEEF PLANT.
Brazilian beef company Independencia SA has restarted
its Janauba meatpacking plant in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state, the company said
Tuesday.
Janauba is the first plant of Independencia’s 23 plants to restart operations
after being closed as part of a restructuring process.
Independencia initially plans to slaughter 400 head of cattle per day at the
plant, a press release said.
Independencia may expand volumes in the future should market condition allow,
the release added.
Independencia has been severely affected by diminished overseas demand, beef
oversupply and falling beef prices leading to a spiraling debt.
As a result, Independencia recently closed all of its plants and shed 6,200
jobs since filing for protection from creditors under the local equivalent of
U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy law in February.
The Janauba plant has a workforce of some 300 employees and is approved to
export to the European Union.
Brazil is the world’s top beef exporter.
