en.Wedoany.com Reported - Lactalis Brasil received Brazil's Minister of Agriculture, André de Paula, this Tuesday (21st) at its industrial plant in Bom Conselho, Pernambuco, reinforcing the company's presence in the Northeast region of Brazil. The minister's visit highlighted the company's investments in the state, totaling BRL 149.1 million between 2020 and 2024. During the visit, the company also showcased a pilot project for biomass power generation, seen as a key step towards achieving carbon neutrality.
The Bom Conselho plant is one of Lactalis' most modern facilities in Brazil, playing a strategic role in supplying dairy products to the North and Northeast regions. The plant produces UHT milk, yogurt, dairy drinks, butter, and fermented milk, solidifying Pernambuco's position as a key hub for the French multinational's expansion strategy in the Brazilian market.
According to the company, recent investments have focused on expanding production capacity, driving industrial modernization, and strengthening the regional dairy chain. Guilherme Portella, Director of Communications, ESG, Regulation, and Corporate Affairs at Lactalis Brasil, stated that the Northeast region, particularly Pernambuco, holds a strategic position in the company's growth plans and is crucial for production projects in the coming years. Currently, the company operates two plants in Pernambuco, located in Bom Conselho and Garanhuns, creating 548 direct jobs. These plants receive approximately 72 million liters of milk annually from 259 farmers, boosting the local economy and encouraging dairy production.
One of the main announcements during the visit was the launch of a pilot project for biomass production for power generation, aligning with Lactalis' global strategy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The pilot project is expected to start at the Bom Conselho plant and then expand to other company operations in Brazil. Portella emphasized that the pilot will begin in Bom Conselho with plans to extend to other regions of Brazil. This initiative aims to reduce industrial emissions, expand the use of renewable energy, and improve the environmental efficiency of the production chain.
Operating in Brazil for 11 years, Lactalis is one of the largest milk purchasers in the country and globally, possessing one of the largest industrial structures in the sector. The group currently operates 23 plants across eight Brazilian states, employs 14,500 people directly, and maintains a leadership position in national milk procurement. Since entering the Brazilian market, the company reports having invested over BRL 5 billion in acquiring new industrial units, BRL 3 billion in modernizing and expanding plants, and BRL 400 million in field programs aimed at dairy development. These investments are intended to enhance the competitiveness of the domestic dairy chain, improve raw material quality, and strengthen relationships with farmers.
Beyond industrial expansion, the company emphasizes that a significant portion of resources has been directly allocated to strengthening Brazilian dairy production, including technical assistance, improving milk quality, training dairy farmers, innovation, and sustainable development. Portella concluded that Lactalis leverages its global experience to bring continuous benefits and development to the Brazilian dairy industry, aligning with local communities and committing to offering quality products at fair prices. With the visit from the Minister of Agriculture and the announcement of new sustainable development projects, Pernambuco solidifies its position as one of the company's main strategic centers in Brazil, both in terms of production and the implementation of innovation and energy transition initiatives in the dairy sector.
