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MBRF, the meat giant born from the merger of Marfrig and BRF, announced the expansion of its beef protein plant in Tacuarembó, northern Uruguay, with an investment of US$ 70 million (R$ 348 million). Hamburger production jumps from 200 to 900 tons per month, equivalent to 500,000 units per day, and daily slaughter grows from 900 to 1,400 animals. The expansion creates 570 direct jobs and reinforces Uruguay as an export platform for the United States, China, Japan, and Europe.
The largest meat company in Brazil chose Uruguay to invest R$ 348 million in an expansion that transforms a regional factory into one of the largest beef protein complexes in South America. MBRF, created in 2025 from the merger between Marfrig and BRF, invested US$ 70 million in the Tacuarembó plant to increase hamburger production capacity by 350% and boost daily slaughter volume by almost 40%. The operation consolidates the complex as the largest in Uruguay in the beef protein segment.
The investment destination is not accidental and reveals a strategy that few have noticed. Uruguay offers what Brazil alone cannot guarantee: unrestricted access to demanding international markets such as the United States, Japan, and South Korea, which impose sanitary and tariff barriers on Brazilian meat. By producing on Uruguayan soil, MBRF bypasses these restrictions and places its products on shelves that Brazilian meat cannot directly reach, while maintaining the scale and efficiency of a Brazilian-standard industrial operation.
The expansion figures that transform Tacuarembó into a meat powerhouse
According to information released by the ndmais portal, the expansion of the Tacuarembó plant is significant across all metrics. Hamburger production jumps from 200 to 900 tons per month, an increase of 350% equivalent to about 500,000 units per day. The daily slaughter volume grows from 900 to 1,400 animals, an advance of almost 40% that consolidates the unit as the largest in Uruguay in beef meat processing capacity.
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A Brazilian meat giant invested BRL 348 million in Uruguay — and the plant now produces 500,000 hamburgers per day while the world discusses whether or not to eat less meat…
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A Brazilian meat giant invested R$ 348 million in Uruguay — and the plant now produces 500,000 hamburgers a day while the world discusses whether or not to eat less meat…
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The infrastructure kept pace with the growth. Pre-cooling chambers increased from 1,800 to 2,800 animals, and a new freezing tunnel with capacity for 21,000 boxes was installed. The expansion also foresees the creation of 570 new direct jobs, raising the total number of workers at the unit to approximately 2,270. Chairman Marcos Molina states that the adopted model follows the standard already implemented in Brazil: “This industrial model allows us to operate with greater scale, efficiency, safety, and standardization.”
Why Uruguay and not Brazil for an investment of R$ 348 million
The choice of Uruguay as the destination for the R$ 348 million is strategic and reflects a logic that goes beyond geographical proximity. The country is internationally recognized for the quality of its livestock production, its sanitary reliability, and its broad access to markets that Brazilian meat does not reach with the same ease. The United States, Japan, South Korea, and Europe maintain commercial agreements and certifications with Uruguay that facilitate the entry of beef meat under conditions that Brazil cannot always replicate.
CEO Miguel Gularte was direct: “Uruguay is a strategic market for the company. These attributes strengthen MBRF’s competitiveness and support our strategy to continue investing in the country.” MBRF accounts for about 30% of Uruguay’s beef exports, and the Tacuarembó expansion reinforces a presence that has lasted two decades. In local retail, the Sadia brand holds about 70% market share.
The production of half a million hamburgers per day and where they go
The 500,000 hamburgers produced daily in Tacuarembó will not remain in Uruguay. The production will be destined for both the domestic market and export, with shipments to the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, and Europe, markets where products with higher added value such as processed hamburgers fetch higher prices than raw meat. The strategy of MBRF is precisely to transition from an exporter of raw meat to a supplier of ready-to-eat products that capture more value in the chain.
The focus on hamburgers is not just about volume: it’s about margin. Processed products like hamburgers, breaded items, and portioned items generate significantly higher revenue per kilo than traditional cuts, and global demand for these items grows as urban consumers seek convenience without giving up animal protein. By positioning the Uruguayan plant as a high value-added production center, MBRF maximizes the return on the R$ 348 million invested.
What MBRF represents after the merger between Marfrig and BRF
MBRF was born in 2025 from the merger between Marfrig and BRF, creating one of the largest food companies in the world with operations ranging from livestock to retail in dozens of countries. In Brazil, the company maintains a significant presence in Itajaí, where it concentrates operations related to the protein export chain, and operates brands like Sadia, Perdigão, and National that are part of the daily life of millions of Brazilians.
The merger gave MBRF the scale to compete globally with giants like JBS, Tyson Foods, and Cargill. The expansion in Uruguay is the company’s first major industrial move post-merger and signals that the growth strategy involves investments outside Brazil in locations offering specific competitive advantages. The Uruguayan operation complements the Brazilian industrial park without relying solely on the domestic market’s commercial and sanitary conditions.
The environmental dimension and jobs generated by the expansion
The expansion of Tacuarembó includes investments in sustainability that follow the trend of importing markets requiring environmental certifications. The complex incorporates effluent treatment systems and the use of renewable energy, with wind turbines accounting for about 10% of the plant’s consumption. A new structure for blood meal production, with a capacity of 100 tons per month, was installed to utilize by-products that would otherwise be discarded.
The 570 new direct jobs in a city in the interior of Uruguay represent a significant economic impact for the Tacuarembó region. The expansion occurs in a context of increasing global demand for proteins and greater competition among South American exporters, a scenario where productive efficiency, sanitary certifications, and access to international markets are factors that determine who grows and who falls behind. MBRF bets that the combination of Brazilian scale with Uruguayan credentials is the formula to lead this race.
Do you think the largest meat company in Brazil investing R$ 348 million in Uruguay is a smart strategy, or should they apply that money here? Tell us in the comments what you think about producing abroad to access markets that Brazilian meat does not directly reach.
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