Moy Park sale to ‘world’s largest meat producer’ complete

Brazilian agri-giant JBS SA, the largest meat processor in the world, has announced its purchase of Northern Ireland poultry integrator Moy Park is complete.

JBS has notified investors it had paid just shy of £800m to previous owner Marfrig, and assumed £193m of Moy Park debt.

The company said a major motivation behind the purchase was access to markets and customers Moy Park has developed in the UK and wider Europe – and that it hopes to use these links to grow exports. 

See also: Sale of Moy Park announced by parent company

Janet McCollum, Moy Park’s chief executive, said it would be “very much business as usual” for the company, which employs 6,400 people in Northern Ireland and 5,400 across the rest of the UK. It processes up to five million chickens each week, selling fresh poultry to retailers and food service sectors, as well as manufacturing added-value products.

“This is an exciting new phase in Moy Park’s development,” added Ms McCollum.  

“Moy Park and JBS share common values and goals with a focus on our customers, delivering high quality, innovative products underpinned by agricultural and operational excellence.”

Last week the European Commission approved the sale, paving the way for its completion.

Wesley Batista, Global CEO of JBS, said: “This transaction is in line with our global strategy in expanding our portfolio of prepared and convenient food products. In addition, we see potential to expand our customer base in Europe, with a vertically integrated production, with innovation and strong brands.”