Dos Pinos will begin to compete in the Costa Rican beef, pork and sausage market through the La Granja brand.
The companies informed that the plan is to offer the new line of products starting in the second half of 2021, being caterers, bakeries and grocery stores, the marketing channels that will be used to reach consumers.
During the first four months of 2021, companies operating in Costa Rica sold $22 million worth of beef to China, this figure represents 54% of the total exported by the Central American country.
Data from the Foreign Trade Promotion Agency (Procomer) show that from January to April of this year, Costa Rican beef exports to China totaled $22 million, to the U.S. $8 million and to Puerto Rico $5 million.
With the new laboratory for the analysis of toxic residues of bovine, porcine and poultry meat, which will begin to operate as of March 2021, Panama will be able to begin exporting to the US market.
Due to the fact that the country so far lacks a laboratory to certify the quality of the meat, Panama cannot export to the United States, however, authorities announced that next year the situation will change.
After completing all the requirements, Panamanian authorities announced that next June 21 will leave the first container with 200 tons of beef bound for the Asian country.
At the end of March, it was reported that the meat product plants that received the endorsement of the General Administration of Customs of China to start marketing their products were Matadero de Chiriquí, S.A. (Machisa), Unión Ganadera, S.A. (Ungasa) and Macello.
In Panama, the processing plant Union Livestock received the endorsement to market beef in the Asian country, and it is expected that the first containers will be shipped in late April.
At the end of last year, it was reported that the meat product plants that received the endorsement by the General Administration of Customs of China to start selling their products to the Asian giant were Matadero de Chiriquí, S.A.
A food processing plant will start operating in Rivas, which will focus on attending to producers and traders, and on university studies.
The new plant, which has the capacity to process meat products, dairy products, cereals, mushrooms, fruit and vegetables, was built on the grounds of the Antonio de Valdivieso International University (Uniav).
Between January and October 2018 and the same period in 2017, the number of slaughtered animals was unchanged, while the number of pigs slaughtered increased by 10%.
According to the latest data from the General Comptroller of Panama, in the first ten months of the year, 270.120 head of cattle were slaughtered, a similar figure to the 270.134 reported in the same period of 2017.
After a $20 million global investment, Grupo Rey launched a meat processing plant and a cold and frozen distribution center.
By inaugurating two industrial plants, which together cover an area of 7,400 m2 and are in the capital, in the La Locería sector, the business group aims to improve production, distribution and supply processes.
After the approval of three beef processing plants in Panama by the Chinese authorities, it is expected that in the first months of 2019 the Central American country will begin to export its products.
The meat products plants which received the endorsement by the General Administration of Customs of China to start selling their products to the Asian giant were Matadero de Chiriquí, S.A. (Machisa), Unión Ganadera, S.A. (Ungasa) and Macello.
Last year, 44 environmental impact studies were presented in countries in the region for construction of industrial plants of different types and improvements in some existing ones.
The interactive platform "Construction in Central America", compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData, includes an up to date list of public and private construction projects for which environmental impact studies (EIA) were presented to the respective institutions of each country.
Cargill has inaugurated a processing plant in Nicaragua that will have the capacity to sacrifice up to 14,000 birds per hour, and it required a $45 million investment.
The new plant, where cuts of whole chicken will be automated, will provide greater capacity for freezing and in line packaging.
Cargill is preparing to start-up in April this year a new chicken meat processing plant, located on the road to Masaya.
Although the plant will not operate at full capacity initially, it will have a total capacity to slaughter 13,500 birds per hour for two eight-hour shifts each day, six days per week.
Xavier Vargas Montealegre, director of Cargill Nicaragua, told Laprensa.com.ni that "... The plant will employ 975 people and will have two processes: in the primary one the birds will be slaughtered and in the secondary one it will cool, split and pack the chicken and then move it to the storage and distribution center."
In Costa Rica, producers of buffalo, rabbit and lamb meat sell their products through restaurants and some supermarkets, in response to growth in consumption which has been noted in recent years.
The sophistication of consumption, hand in hand with a greater diversification in the gastronomic supply at restaurants has been pushing up demand for nontraditional meats, such as rabbit, buffalo and lamb.
The union of exporters of bovine meat reports that since the end of September orders from the South American country have halted, falling practically to zero.
Business people in the Nicaraguan meat industry attribute the drop in meat sales to Venezuela to a sharp reduction in the volume of trade which the oil agreement between the South American country and the countries in the Alba contemplates.
In the last five years annual per capita consumption of pork in the countries of the region increased from 4.6 kilos in 2012 to 5.3 kilos in 2016, and growth was driven mainly by Panama and Costa Rica.
Between 2012 and 2016 regional pork consumption has maintained an upward trend, growing from 205 thousand tons in 2012 to 249 thousand tons in 2016, which is an increase of 21%.