Brazil, Merials exportation platform
Gazeta Mercantil - 11/22/2007
The Merial plant in Paulínea (SP) will be, within two years, the main supplier of the company in the world in the area of injectables, making room for Brazil to become an export platform for veterinary products. The Brazilian unit has invested US$ 19 million to increase its productive capacity and meet the requirements of the European Union and the United States in recent years. Merial CEO for Latin America's South Cone region, Alfredo Idhe, says that, with the approval of the plant by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Merial in Brazil will meet the whole demand of the multinational company around the world, which has shut down its antiparasitic processing units. The estimate of the company is that in 2011 the products be exported to 65 countries - in comparison with the 25 expected this year. Nowadays Merial produces the equivalent to R$ 60 million (US$ 34.5 million) in exportation. In 2011 it will be R$ 350 million (US$ 201.15 million). As the investments in construction have already been made, from now on, the company will only need to increase the number of employees as the units come into operation. That means the hiring of 70 to 100 people, which is equivalent to duplicating the staff. The segment of this type of products is the second of the veterinary market of ruminants in Brazil - the first is the segment of vaccines against foot and mouth disease. This segment has activities of US$ 3 billion in the world, from the total of US$ 17 billion of the veterinary market. The company is also building a plant for products aimed at equines and canines, with the purpose of being certified by the FDA and the European Union and, thus, be a world supplier of these products. In order to do so, it is investing US$ 25 million in the next four to five years. In the area of foot and mouth disease vaccines, the company already exports to Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and has projects to cater to Argentina and Venezuela.