WORLD OF PIGS ▶▶▶
further growth is possible. A total production volume of 780,000 tonnes of complete feed for poultry (both broilers and broiler breeders) is envisaged for 2019, and it is projected that the plant should to be able to produce 900,000 tonnes in 2020. Inside the plant indeed everything looks meticulous, with hardly any signs of dust lying around. Staff wear protec- tive clothing and helmets inside, walkways and storage areas are clearly defined on the floor and the rooms are kept tidy. The most important raw materials are soybeans and corn, all grown locally. In total 36 ingredients are added, creating 13 different rations for the birds – with eight types for broilers and five for layers. The corn is brought in at the facility via a different entrance to the soybeans and is then transported di- agonally to the feed mill by a wire connection. Varnier explains that the majority of Lar’s business is concen- trated around the poultry business. The cooperative works
with 1,500 poultry farm members altogether, amounting to some 20 million birds in a 150 kilometre radius around the feed plant. The Santa Helena plant obtains its feed raw materials from over 10,000 affiliated farmers from surrounding states like Paraná, Santa Catarina and Mato Grosso do Sul – and even farmers from neighbouring Paraguay supply the Santa Hele- na plant. The larger supplying farms have specialised, Varnier explains. “Some smaller farms indeed do everything, from corn production to keeping livestock. The larger members fo- cus only on growing crops.” All in all, the message is clear. Given that southern Brazil has a vast potential for growing crops and providing animal protein for the entire world, the opportunities had better be well planned and the facilities properly protected. Preferably as cleanly as possible.
Lar cooperative: Much more than just poultry
‘Lar’ is a Portuguese word meaning ‘home’ or ‘my place’. The Lar cooperative is one of the many found in Brazil, as a large part of the country’s agriculture revolves around coop- eratives. The Lar cooperative, headquartered in Medianeira, Paraná, has 11,000 members and roughly 13,000 employees. The cooperative covers the entire produc- tion chain, from multiplication and feed pro- duction to its own slaughterhouses, super- market brands, large retail shops and even a few gas stations. The cooperative sells own brand products and other traditional Brazilian brands in its supermarkets. Lar also buys products from elsewhere (even abroad). These are marketed under the Lar brand which has a name for good quality produce. The Lar supermarkets are found only in southern Brazil, although the Lar brand is sold throughout the country and is even ex- ported to more than 74 countries world- wide. The projected turnover in 2019 is R$ 6.95 billion (€ 1.58 billion). In terms of its swine production, Lar is inte- grated. The cooperative has 21,000 sows and an additional 4,000 sows through its members, producing 650,000 piglets in 2019. However, these are sent to the slaugh- terhouses and processing plants of Frimesa, another cooperative in southern Brazil. The
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A Lar supermarket ìn São Miguel do Iguaçu.
products from these plants are then sold in Lar supermarkets as well as other supermar- kets throughout the country. Apart from the feed mill in Santa Helena, the cooperative owns another two feed plants: with one for pig feed and one for dairy and beef cattle. The cooperative has no beef cows of its own but does have 6,000 dairy cows. In 2018 they produced 25.9 million litres of milk – while for 2019 a total volume of around 22.2 million litres has been estimated.
▶PIG PROGRESS | Volume 35, No. 9, 2019
Pork for sale under the Frimesa brand in the Lar supermarket.
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