JBS to double capacity of Brazil beef plant, make it Latin America's largest

SAO PAULO, April 12 (Reuters) - Brazil's JBS, the world's largest meat producer, will invest 150 million reais ($29.2 million) to double the slaughtering capacity at its Campo Grande II beef plant to 4,400 cattle per day, it said in a statement on Friday.

The announcement, which happens after the plant received in March green light to export to China, was made during a visit of Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to the unit, which is located in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

JBS said the capacity expansion should be completed within a year, and will make Campo Grande II one of the firm's three largest plants in the world and Latin America's largest beef plant.

The firm added it will also double the plant's work force to 4,600 people. ($1 = 5.1355 reais) (Reporting by Roberto Samora and Andre Romani; editing by Gabriel Araujo)