Pasta sector grows above GDP and invests in expansion
DCI
The food sector of pasta saw the world financial crisis in the distance, and should close the year with a growth well above that of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), based on the decrease of the number of people who eat out in restaurants. The evaluation of the industries of the sector points to an even more optimistic 2010, with a large volume of investments in expansion. According to Claudio Zanão, chief director of the Brazilian Pasta Association (Abima), the segment had good performance in all markets, mainly in those that suffered the most with the financial crisis.
Grupo Selmi, owner of the Renata and Galo brands, already registers a 17% increase in the sales volume of its pasta. In this regard, the company should close the year with an increase in the productive capacity, with a new line of spaghetti with capacity to produce 4,500 kilos per hour. In addition to that, until the end of 2010, the company should launch a new line of cream crackers, cookies and ready to eat cakes in single portions. Another focus will be storage, with the increment of the Sumaré unit in the interior of São Paulo. The total value of these investments is nearly R$ 30 million (US$ 17.4 million). Selmi adds that, for 2011, it plans to build a plant in Pernambuco in order to strengthen the presence in the northeastern market.
Another company that bets on expanding in order to meet the increase of the demand is the J. Macedo, responsible for the Dona Benta, Petybon and Brandini brands, leader in the North-Northeast region. "We believe the Brazilian market has big potential for growth in consumption", says Marcos Povoa commercial officer and officer of new business of J. Macedo. "With an eye on this opportunity, we are working on the increase of the productive capacity of our São José dos Campos unit, increasing the volume of pasta from 63 thousand tons to 93 thousand tons a year".
To take the place left by Frescarini, which stopped being produced by General Mills in April, Grupo Bertin launched, in late September, it line of fresh pasta under the Vigor brand. Present in large- and mid-sized retail chains, the goal of the company is to conquer 15% of the market of fresh pasta in São Paulo in 12 months, getting to the small-sized retail outfits next March.