These facilities will include a state-of-the-art poultry complex with the capacity to process 1.25 mln birds per week for the retail chill-pack market. At full production, the complex will require 130 contract growers and will be equipped to process and sell 6.7 mln pounds (3 mln kg) per week of dressed poultry meat.

The company said that above the $126.5 mln that it will invest, associated contract growers will invest another $98 mln.

The poultry producer said it will start construction this summer and operations will begin during the fourth quarter of 2009.