Brazil-JBS to bump up beef production.

BRAZIL-JBS-SWIFT to increase beef production.

JBS S.A.’s director of investor relations said on Wednesday that the beef producer currently is in a two-year process of raising slaughter capacity in Brazil by 10 percent.

Jerry O’Callaghan said the Sao Paulo-based company has for the last year been slaughtering nearly 19,000 head per day and plans to add another 1,000 head of capacity by the end of this year.

"Over a two-year period we are in the process of adding about 10 percent to capacity," he said.

O’Callaghan explained that JBS has been pouring money back into existing plants in Brazil for the past three to four years. But due to a relative short supply of cattle there, the company has been under utilizing its capacity.

"Thus, we are looking to ramp up production now as facilities owned by competition may be reducing theirs," he said.

JBS currently is evaluating which of its Brazilian plants will add capacity to.