JBS invests US$70 million in Paraguay poultry production
Brazilian meat processor expands into Paraguay with plans to process 100,000 birds daily.
PARAGUAY – Brazil-based meat company JBS is investing about US$70 million over the next two years to develop poultry operations in Paraguay.
The project will begin with the purchase of a facility from Pollos Amanecer, a local agribusiness involved in poultry processing, and grain and cereal production.
Located in Doctor Juan Eulogio Estigarribia, also called Campo 9, in the Caaguazú department, the plant will undergo modernization and expansion to increase production capacity.
According to the company, the plant is expected to reach a daily processing capacity of 100,000 birds once fully operational.
JBS announced the investment on October 2 during a visit by Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña to the company’s Seara factory in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
Production capacity and employment plans
The expansion project will take place in stages and is expected to create around 1,100 jobs once the site is fully operational, including both manufacturing and administrative roles.
JBS said the complex will include 28 poultry farms, hatcheries, and a feed mill to support its production network.
Currently, the Pollos Amanecer plant works with chickens from 19 coops, but JBS plans to increase that number to 139 as part of its broader development plan.
The company added that the Seara division will lead the expansion, supported by significant investment from integrated poultry producers in the surrounding region.
Although JBS acquired both the factory and the Pollos Amanecer brand, it has not yet confirmed whether the brand will continue to be used for future production.
First entry into Paraguay
This marks JBS’s first production facility in Paraguay, expanding the company’s regional footprint beyond its existing operations in Brazil.
Global CEO Gilberto Tomazoni said that Paraguay provides favorable conditions for poultry farming and that the new operation is expected to support job creation and local income generation.
He added that the facility will also help increase Paraguay’s access to export markets through the production of high-quality chicken products for the Seara line.
Seara’s product range includes chilled poultry and pork, processed foods, snacks, and cured meat, with 30 processing sites and 24 prepared-food facilities already operating in Brazil.
The new Paraguayan site will produce for both domestic consumption and export markets once its expansion is complete.
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