MBRF Pet Eyes US Shelves With R$ 4 Billion Business

MBRF Pet, the pet-food arm of the company that owns Sadia and Perdigão, now generates nearly R$ 4 billion in revenue and is entering the United States market. The division reached 20 countries, up from 15, after Stanley Andrade took over as director-general in 2024, and it wants a presence in at least 26 markets by the end of next year.

The consultancy Petfood Industry estimated the division's 2025 revenue at US$ 765 million (R$ 3.9 billion). That figure ranks second on the continent, behind PremieRpet, maker of PremieR and Golden. Other rivals include Mars, with Pedigree, Whiskas and Royal Canin, and the Brazilian manufacturers Special Dog and Adimax, which produce Fórmula Natural and Magnus respectively.

MBRF does not disclose the division's revenue itself. International sales already account for almost 20% of its turnover, growing 18%, with Latin America as the main market. The operation has also pushed into more distant destinations, such as the United Arab Emirates, where it developed products adapted to local cat and dog consumption habits.

What drives the expansion plan?

Three years ago, the pet business was up for sale. The group abandoned that plan and hired Andrade, who was born in Acre despite his foreign-sounding name. Since then the division has expanded from 15 to 20 countries.

"Embora não tenhamos uma lista fechada hoje, temos certeza de que vamos entrar em pelo menos mais seis mercados", Andrade said.

The US entry starts with wet food produced in Bastos, in São Paulo state, a category where the company believes it can compete with local manufacturers.

"Temos certeza de que temos marca, qualidade e competitividade para entrar lá, mas não temos pressa", Andrade said. The American operation is still defining the most suitable sales channels to gain shelf space.

To start exports, the company certified two industrial units, in Bastos and in Paraguay. In the neighboring country, MBRF Pet recently invested R$ 13.6 million to boost production of higher value-added items. That unit serves as a supply hub for Latin American countries.

Why is Brazil still the main pillar?

Growth, however, is more domestic than international. Andrade sees room to sell more sophisticated products at home. Biofresh and Guabi Natural, positioned in the superpremium natural category, grow fastest. GranPlus, with a wider product range and larger sales volume, joined that segment this year with the Performance line.

"O Brasil continua sendo um grande pilar para a gente. Só que continuamos combinando isso com a internacionalização. Aqui, crescemos mais em valor do que em volume, porque o mercado tem se tornado mais próximo dos de países desenvolvidos", Andrade said.

He added another shift in habits: the cat population is growing faster than the dog population.

Rivals are watching the same trend. Special Dog, which posted R$ 2.15 billion in revenue in 2025, plans to invest R$ 300 million in a plant in Mateus Leme, Minas Gerais, and wants a larger share of superpremium feed in its portfolio.

MBRF Pet, by contrast, intends to grow with its five existing plants — four in Brazil and one in Paraguay. Andrade considers the installed capacity sufficient for demand in the coming years, provided production lines are adapted to incorporate new products.

How was MBRF Pet built?

The growth plan is entirely organic. After acquisitions in 2021, the priority now is to use existing industrial capacity and expand brand distribution in Brazil and abroad.

In 2021, the company, then called BRF, paid R$ 1.35 billion for the manufacturers Hercosul and Mogiana Alimentos. Those deals gave the business its scale. After the group dropped the sale plan and Andrade arrived in 2024, the division went through integration: it absorbed the acquired companies, a step completed in January 2025, and unified its management systems.

"Foi isso que realmente criou a MBRF Pet. Até então, a gente tinha as unidades separadas", Andrade recalled.

The company now bets that an integrated structure, five plants and its US wet-food entry will carry it to 26 markets by the end of next year — without a single new factory.