Abalioglu Lezita Gida, which increased its market sales by more than 50% during the COVID-19 process, is preparing for a new investment. The company, which will establish its second white meat production facility in Kahramanmaras after Izmir Kemalpasa, will invest ₺1.35 billion. In the facility, the foundation of which will be laid in the first quarter of 2022, whole chicken, piece chicken and further processing (deli, meatballs, doner kebab) products will be produced. Ergun Abalioglu, Chairman of the Board of Lezita, announced that the meat integrated facility to be established on an area of 200 thousand square meters in Kahramanmaras will reach an annual production of 150 thousand tons in the first stage, and then 300 thousand tons. Abalioglu continued as follows: “In addition to the facility, we will put the brolier feed factory on an area of 90 thousand square meters and the Kuluckahane facility on an area of 80 thousand square meters in the same region. In addition, with a 40 thousand square meter breeder feed facility in Nigde and a 400 thousand square meter breeder house in Nigde, the total amount of our investment will be €130 million.” Explaining that they have 3 thousand 500 employees in Izmir Kemalpasa, Abalioglu stated that the number of employees with the new investment will reach 7 thousand. Stating that they do not plan to open the stock market in the next year or two, Abalioglu stated that it may be later. Emphasizing the export revenues in financing the investment, Abalioglu said, “We have an export target of $75 million this year. We export to 62 countries in total. We will increase the share of production in exports from 12% to 25% in 2025. We will have doubled exports in three years.” Lezita General Manager Mesut Ergul, who stated that they reduced the costs with innovation, stated that imported inputs accounted for 65% of the feed costs and that the price increase in the wing was 50%, and replied, “The costs are ahead, but we are trying to close the gap with advanced processed innovative products.”
Source: Sabah / Translated by Irem Yildiz
