Dive Brief:
- JBS SA CEO Wesley Batista said the company is interested in acquisition opportunities in the Americas and Australia, reports Reuters.
- Batista said these would include acquisitions in chicken, pork, and branded, packaged food sectors pursued throughout this year.
- "I cannot say that, second half of this year, we are not going to be preparing ourselves, to (maybe) look something for late this year or next year," Batista said.
Dive Insight:
This focus on acquisitions seems to be a change of heart for the world's leading beef exporter. Just a few months after acquiring Primo Group, Jerry O'Callaghan, JBS' director of investor relations, said this year the company's priority would be organic growth, according to Reuters.
Even as recently as April, the company announced it had enough cash to pursue acquisitions, but it would instead prioritize internal organic growth.
"I'm more focused on some internal things, but this does not mean we are not going to be looking," Batista said.