The new unit required an investment of 60 million reais and expands the company’s production capacity.
Cobb-Vantress, the global leader in broiler poultry genetics, officially commenced operations at its hatchery in the municipality of Prata, in Minas Gerais, Brazil, in May 2025. With an investment of 60 million reais (approximately €9.75 million), the unit is the largest and most modern of the company’s facilities in Latin America. The hatchery represents a major milestone in the expansion of production capacity in Brazil, strengthening the country’s position as a poultry genetics hub for South America.
Designed with cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art automation systems, the hatchery has the capacity to increase the company’s production output by up to 25%. The new unit forms part of Cobb’s expansion plan in Brazil and aims to meet the growing demand from customers both domestically and abroad. It also reinforces the commitment to securing the supply of breeder stock in the market. At the end of May 2025, the hatchery made its first delivery of parent stock to the company’s customers, marking the start of operations.
The Prata hatchery is situated within a built area of 5,200 m². The facility houses modern equipment, including single-stage incubators, automated conveyor belts and state-of-the-art vaccination machines, delivering high standards of biosecurity, traceability and production efficiency. With this unit, Cobb remains committed to maintaining its position of delivering the best product in the field.
The hatchery was designed with a modular layout to allow for future expansions and incorporates an adjoining distribution centre, which receives goods, raw materials and other inputs to be used in farm production and hatchery operations, providing greater agility and improved supply security for the company’s other units in Minas Gerais.
Prior to the establishment of the hatchery, the company carried out a comprehensive environmental and health study of the region to ensure the absence of poultry or swine production facilities within a strategic radius, rigorously following the protocols of the compartmentalisation model adopted by Cobb. Biosecurity was considered at every stage of the facility’s design, from the internal flow of staff to the ventilation system, sanitary drainage and waste disposal.
The unit is also strategically located alongside the BR 153 highway, which runs the length of the country and facilitates the transport of production to customers, principally in the Centre-West, North and North-East regions.
In line with the company’s sustainable practices, the Prata hatchery has its own Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to treat all waste generated by its operations, in addition to selective waste collection and responsible disposal. Furthermore, the facility brought together technical expertise from the company’s Occupational Safety, Environment and Biosecurity departments to ensure maximum safety in all activities and for all employees.
“Biosecurity, sustainability and animal welfare were the pillars guiding every stage of this project. We selected the Prata region very carefully and in full alignment with the principles of poultry compartmentalisation, in which we operate in a responsible and safe manner. With this inauguration, the company remains on a path of sustainable growth, ready to meet both domestic and export demand,” explains Bernardo Gallo, Vice President of Cobb.