Brazilian meat firm JBS has opened a new manufacturing facility for its Friboi beef business unit to further strengthen its position in the local market.

The plant is located at Brasnorte city in the state of Mato Grosso. It will initially have the capacity to process 500 animals per day.

Friboi president Renato Costa said: “We believe in Brasnorte’s potential, which will bring even more relevance to our cattle operation in Mato Grosso state.

“We have invested not only in building an excellent facility with modern equipment and workflows but also in high-quality training to our local workforce with a focus on occupational safety.”

“We will continue investing in all our plants in the coming years, which reaffirms the Company’s long-term commitment to Brazil.”

JBS invested more than R$70m ($17.08m) for the acquisition and construction of the plant. Initially, it has hired around 300 employees for the new facility. It will use the new manufacturing facility to meet domestic market demand.

It is also planning to make investments in its Brasnorte plant. This will improve production capacity, as well as create another 900 employment opportunities at the site.

Friboi has been in the business for more than four decades. It is said to have transformed the market by de-commoditising Brazilian beef and building a leading brand.

The company offers a wide range of beef products under various brands in different markets. These include its name brand, as well as Maturatta Friboi, Do Chef Friboi, Reserva Friboi, 1953 Friboi and Swift Black.

Currently, it has 37 production plants in Brazil and exports its products to more than 150 countries across the globe.

Last May, JBS USA has unveiled a $95m expansion plan for its Grand Island, Nebraska, beef production facility.

The investment allows for the construction of animal handling facilities, as well as a temperature-controlled harvest floor and facility reconfiguration. JBS expects this to further improve team member experience, food safety and product quality.

JBS USA expects that the 107,000ft² expansion and facility enhancements will allow it to sustainably meet customer and consumer expectations for quality US beef products.