Located in the province of Batangas, it will be run by Cargill Joy Poultry Meat Production Inc or C-Joy for short – a joint venture between Cargill and Jollibee, the country’s biggest fast food chain.
Capable of processing around 45 million chickens per year, the plant will produce marinated meat for Jollibee’s fast food restaurants.
The factory launch is another sign of Cargill’s continued love affair with the Philippines – the first country in Asia where it established a presence, back in 1948.
Sustainable meat plant
“Cargill and Jollibee came together to start this plant because of our common commitment to the highest standards in product quality and food safety,” said Paul Fullbright, CEO of C-Joy. “This is reflected in this new plant, which harnesses technology and global experience to deliver tasty chicken products in an environment that is safe for our employees and is environmentally sustainable.”
Local farmers in Batangas and neighbouring provinces have been given contracts to supply chicken to the new plant.
“We are looking forward to producing the chickens that will be supplied to the C-Joy plant to meet the poultry meat requirements of Jollibee,” said Vic Lao, president of Highcrest Corporation, one of C-Joy’s contract growers.
“One thing I was impressed by was the biosecurity requirements to control food safety at every stage of production. They are surely raising the bar there.”
Santo Tomas mayor Edna Sanchez welcomed the new factory, which should support local jobs. “We hope that this plant will eventually provide and augment work and business opportunities to poultry growers, allied services and qualified Tomasinos alike,” said Sanchez.
“We are looking forward to more effective and enhanced partnership between this municipality and soon to be city of Santo Tomas and C-Joy in providing high-quality and safe food products and, most prominently, in improving the general welfare of the community.”