With an investment of US$45 million, Cargill inaugurated its new “Plantel Tip Top” processing plant in Managua, Nicaragua, which has the capacity to slaughter up to 14,000 birds per hour and replaces the San Benito and Masaya poultry plants.
With these new facilities, the U.S. company increases its capacity by 50 percent in this Central American country, while modernizes its operations to ensure safety, quality and efficiency.
The plant has technological improvements that will allow the automated cutting of whole chicken. It has greater instantaneous freezing capacity, online packaging, and it ensures a safer environment for its employees.
"We want to be leaders in nurturing Latin America in a safe, responsible and sustainable manner. We believe in Nicaragua and that is why with this new investment we are betting on the growth and strengthening of the country,” said the president of Cargill Proteína Latinoamerica, Xavier Vargas.
According to Vargas, "this investment also allows us to apply to be certified to export, for which it is a requirement to have a national system of sanitary surveillance and safety strengthened before our commercial partners.”
He added that, in order to continue attracting local and foreign investment, it is important "to have clear rules and strong institutions that enforce them.” In that sense, he affirmed that Cargill operates in the values of doing the right thing, aiming at excellence and putting people first.
In recent years, the company has invested more than US$100 million in Nicaragua, where it has also installed corporate social responsibility programs.
Cargill reported that among its main impacts in Nicaragua are: the generation of almost 3,000 direct and 18,000 indirect jobs, the purchase of 50 percent of sorghum production and two thirds of chicken production.
Government officials from Nicaragua, such as General Alvaro Baltodano, presidential delegate for Investments, and from the United States, such as ambassador Laura Dogu, were present at the inauguration.
The opening of the plant comes after the company announced that will also invest in a heavy line breeder farm in Malpasillo, in northwestern Nicaragua.
