The largest employer in the country, the group will expand operations in several sectors, according to businessman Wesley Batista
Businessman Wesley Batista announced on Friday the J&F Group’s R$ 38.5 billion investment plan in Brazil from 2023 to 2026, which will result in the generation of 30 thousand new direct jobs in the country. The plan was presented during the executive’s participation in the panel “Brazil, the best business in the world”, at the Paris Sphere Forum, with the participation of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
According to the businessman, the plan includes investments in all sectors in which the conglomerate operates: food production, cellulose, mining, power generation, hygiene and cosmetics, and financial services and technology. “We are optimistic about the country and Brazil’s relationship with the world. Brazil is once again the ball of the moment,” said Batista.
J&F controls JBS, Eldorado Brasil Celulose, J&F Mineração, Âmbar Energia, Flora and PicPay, among other companies. The holding company is now the largest employer group in Brazil, with 167,000 direct employees. Globally, it employs 286,000 people. “We operate in more than 20 countries, but few offer as many opportunities as Brazil. Therefore, we will allocate to the country most of the investments planned by the group in the coming years,” said the executive.
Among the investments planned by the group is the implementation of the second production line of Eldorado Brasil Celulose, in Três Lagoas (MS), a project worth R$ 20 billion and 10 thousand jobs. The company also plans to build an 85-kilometer railway branch to connect the plant directly to the rail network.
The largest company controlled by the group, JBS will deliver R$ 3.5 billion in investments by 2024 – all of which have already been announced by the company, such as the new Seara plant in Rolândia (PR), which will be inaugurated this month. The result of an investment of R$ 1.1 billion, the plant will be one of the largest and most modern prepared food production complexes in the world, and will generate up to 2,600 new jobs when all planned lines are completed.
In 2024, JBS will inaugurate the expansion of Seara’s plant in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, which will become one of the largest pork complexes in the world. With an expected generation of 2.5 thousand new direct jobs, the expansion is the result of an investment of R$ 1.3 billion. JBS’s investments also include the construction of a new feed mill in Seberi (RS), the doubling of the Friboi unit in Diamantino (MT) and the start of construction of Brazil’s first cultivated protein research center, the JBS Biotech Innovation Center. In all, 7.5 thousand new jobs will be generated by the company.
J&F’s plan also includes the expansion of J&F Mineração’s operations and logistics, which will invest R$ 5.5 billion by 2025 in three projects that will result in 6,500 new jobs. Also part of the plan are Âmbar Energia’s investments in the acquisition and construction of solar plants and farms, in addition to the R$ 6.5 billion that PicPay plans to allocate to software development and new businesses, generating 3.6 thousand new jobs.
“Brazil has a gigantic population, significant domestic consumption, a consolidated democracy and awareness of its fiscal responsibility. In addition, it is taking a leading role in the environmental agenda and is beginning to move forward with the necessary reforms. Those who undertake in Brazil know that there are still challenges to be overcome, but we are Brazilians and we believe in our country,” Batista concluded.
In his participation, former President Sarkozy defended the greater role of Brazil and Latin America in international forums, including a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. The 1st International Forum of the Brazil Sphere, promoted in Paris, runs until this Saturday, the 14th, with an agenda of debates on topics of interest to both countries.
