Cargill, Wichita, Kan., announced plans to invest $50 million to expand its poultry processing operations at its Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, facility. The expansion will create 1,400 new jobs. Cargill will engage several independent smallholder broiler farms in the local community to meet the increase demand in broiler chicken.

The new building annexed to the current facility began construction on Oct. 21, and is expected to start operating in the first quarter of 2018.

“Cargill has been in the Thai poultry industry for 25 years, and has grown to become the leading exporter of fully-cooked chicken products in the country. I attribute this to our uncompromising approach to food innovation, quality and safety, a talented and efficient local workforce working in a strictly safe environment and a close partnership with the Thai authorities. This expansion is thanks to the confidence and trust our customers place in our products, our people and our commitment to deliver,” says Hans Kabat, president of Cargill Protein Southeast Asia.

In May, Cargill Protein Southeast Asia formed a joint venture with Jollibee Foods Corp., an Asian foodservice company, to establish a poultry processing facility in the Philippines, creating 1,000 jobs in the process. Then, in September, it started a joint venture with leading agri-food business Japfa to produce and supply fully-cooked poultry products in Indonesia.

“These investments strengthen Cargill’s position as a leader in food and agriculture industries in Asia Pacific, and reinforce our unique abilities to meet the changing food demands in the region. It also reflects the tremendous growth opportunities for Cargill in Asia Pacific and our commitment to continue to invest in the region and its people,” adds Kabat.