USD 334 Million Expansion Positions McCain for Rising Demand in Brazil’s Frozen Potato Market
McCain Foods has announced a BRL 1.8 billion (USD 334 million) expansion of its manufacturing complex in Araxá, Minas Gerais, marking the company’s largest investment in the region to date and underscoring Brazil’s rising importance within its global network.
The project extends McCain’s recent strategic build-out in the country, including the inauguration of the Araxá plant in 2022 and the full acquisition of Forno de Minas in 2023. The new investment will deliver a French fry production line and a line dedicated to pre-formed potato products, significantly increasing the company’s output and improving supply responsiveness across consumer and foodservice channels.
The new French fry line is scheduled to begin operations in the second half of 2027. McCain said the expanded configuration will enhance service to Retail, Cash & Carry and Food Service customers, including fast-food operators, while strengthening local innovation capabilities through updated processing technology.
Aluizio Periquito Neto, Managing Director of the McCain Brazil Group, stated:
“Brazil is on track to become the third-largest market for frozen French fries globally, positioning itself as a strategic priority for McCain. This investment reaffirms the importance of the Brazilian market to our business and our ambition to grow in a consistent and responsible way.”
As part of the development, McCain will build new raw-potato storage structures to ensure stable supply and improve logistics efficiency. Additional cold-storage capacity for finished frozen products will also be installed, consolidating the company’s footprint in Minas Gerais and reinforcing its domestic production base.
The investment is expected to deliver material economic benefits to the region. McCain estimates the creation of more than 350 direct jobs in Araxá, alongside the engagement of more than 1,000 professionals across agricultural operations that supply the plant.
Sustainability Embedded in the Expansion
The Araxá project will follow McCain’s global operational standards designed to reduce environmental impact in facility design and day-to-day operations. The existing plant already runs entirely on renewable energy and recently received carbon-neutral certification from BSI for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.
Periquito Neto added:
“Driving sustainable practices in everything we do and caring for the planet have always been global priorities for McCain — and the expansion of the Araxá plant will be no exception.”
With this investment, McCain positions itself to meet accelerating Brazilian demand while scaling production, reinforcing supply chain resilience and advancing its sustainability commitments in one of its fastest-growing global markets.
