Brazil’s BRF aims at operating own China food factory
SAO PAULO, Dec 8 (Reuters) – Brazilian food processor BRF SA plans to start producing meat in China as part of an aggressive growth plan that could more than double annual net sales by 2030, executives said during a company presentation on Wednesday.
BRF mainly serves the Chinese market via exports.
But as China rebuilt its pork herd and the pandemic rattled global logistics, local presence, as BRF has had for years in the Middle East, will be paramount.
“To be a much more relevant player in China we need to increase local production,” Patricio Rohner, BRF’s vice-president of international markets, told reporters after the presentation.
He said BRF already operates in China through local partnerships in sales and distribution.
BRF does not rule out acquisitions in China, but Rohner personally prefers building the company’s own factory there. “When you buy a rival, a local producer, they don’t have the portfolio that the younger consumers need.”