$890K Granja Avícola Santa Fe egg farm opens in Salinas
Granja Avícola Santa Fe, the first large-scale egg production farm to open in Puerto Rico in the last 14 years, officially opened its doors in Salinas, with a $240,000 contribution from the Agriculture Department’s Investment Program and $650,000 in private capital investment.
On hand for the inauguration were Gov. Pedro Pierluisi and Agriculture Secretary Ramón González.
Prior to the new company’s arrival, Puerto Rico’s egg-producing sector had some 20 active hen farms, most of them on a smaller scale in a cage-free mode. Of those 20, eight are large-scale farms, and Granja Avícola Santa Fe is expected to contribute to the goal of increasing egg production in Puerto Rico.
González said local egg production stands at about 20% and the goal is to produce enough o cover 50% of local consumption.
“With the entry of Granja Avícola Santa Fe, we’re getting closer to the goal of increasing production, assuring consumers of a fresh and top-quality product,” he said.
Granja Avícola Santa Fe, operated by Agronomer Loyd Sanabria, 21, has an automated operational system based on European technology. The cage spaces are larger, and the ranch has a tunnel system for temperature control.
Initially the operation will have 20,000 hens producing some 18,000 eggs daily. By 2023, it is estimated that 20,000 hens will be added to produce 36,000 eggs per day.
During the inauguration, local grocery store chain Supermercados Econo and Granja Avícola Santa Fe signed a purchasing agreement through which latter will buy all the production from the first farm’s initial operation, which will be packaged under the Econo brand.
“This agreement represents some 8,000 dozen fresh eggs per week that will reach all of our stores,” said Eduardo Marxuach, CEO of Supermercados Econo, said.
“Our goal is to support and collaborate with the local farmer and producer, so we feel more than proud to be able to offer consumers this product that is one of the main ones in the basic food basket,” he said.
Once the second chicken ranch is added, the Avícola Santa Fe private brand will be on the market.