BRF opens Dh588m food processing plant
PRODUCTS WILL BE EXPORTED ACROSS THE REGION
In order to tap the growing food market in the Middle East, BRF, which is responsible for the Sadia brand of frozen foods, is opening a new Dh588 million factory at Kizad in Abu Dhabi today. The facility will provide jobs for 1,400 workers.
The strategic location of Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi ( Kizad) will facilitate faster and more efficient access of the Sadia brand to global markets, Patricio Rohner, managing director of BRF said.
He said the opening of the new facility in Abu Dhabi will help the emirate reduce its dependence on imports.
“It is in line with the Abu Dhabi 2030 vision. We will be exporting our products to the entire region from the new factory,” said Rohner.
Consumption growing
The company is importing raw materials from Brazil, Australia, Turkey and India and has up to a 60 per cent market share in chicken products. The company plans to increase its investment in the distribution of products in the coming days.
According to Rohner, food consumption is growing across the world as the population increases. “The GCC region is one of our important markets. The annual total consumption of frozen food is 1.8 million tonnes.” BRF places an emphasis on food production safety. The company operates 57 factories in the world and exports to more than 110 countries.
Most of the company’s brands, such as Sadia, Perdigao and Qualy have made a mark in processed meat, pasta, margarines and frozen pizza segments in Brazil and are increasingly recognised in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and America.
Captain Mohammad Juma Al Shamsi, chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi Ports Company ( ADPC) and Chairman, Board of Directors, Kizad, said they are delighted to see BRF. “The opening of the food production plant represents a crucial landmark in our continuous efforts to enable development and trade, while diversifying the emirate’s economy in line with Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030.”
He said Kizad has worldclass infrastructure including the deepwater Khalifa Port, the first semi- automated port in the region.
“As the local food industry promises significant growth in the years to come, the BRF plant will considerably contribute to the local production output and reduce the emirate’s dependence on imports.”
The plant will have a production capacity of nearly 70,000 tonnes of food products a year including breaded items, pizzas and burgers.