Cargill is investing $50 million to further boost poultry processing in the Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand. Construction of a new building annexed to the current facility began in October and is expected to be ready for operations during the first quarter of 2018.
Cargill employees conduct quality checks of poultry on the processing line.The investment will create 1,400 new jobs and add to the more than 13,500 employees on the company’s payroll across 14 locations in the country. In addition, several independent smallholder broiler farms will be engaged to meet the increased demand for broiler chicken.
“Cargill has been in the Thai poultry industry for 25 years and has grown to become the leading exporter of fully-cooked chicken products in the country. I attribute this to our uncompromising approach to food innovation, quality and safety, a talented and efficient local workforce working in a strictly safe environment, and a close partnership with the Thai authorities,” said Hans Kabat, president of Cargill Protein Southeast Asia.
Hans Kabat, president of Cargill Protein Southeast Asia.Cargill has been steadily growing in this region thanks to rising customer demand and consumer appetite for poultry products in the Asia Pacific market. In May, it formed a joint venture with Jollibee Foods Corporation to establish a poultry processing facility in the Philippines, creating 1,000 jobs in the process. More recently, in September it started a joint venture with pan-Asian agri-food business Japfa to produce and supply fully-cooked poultry products in Indonesia.
“These investments strengthen our position as a leader in food and agriculture industries in Asia Pacific, and reinforce our abilities to meet the changing food demands in the region. It also reflects the tremendous growth opportunities and our commitment to continue to invest in the region and its people,” said Kabat.
