Global Eggs to acquire Hillandale Farms for US$1.1B

BRAZIL – Global Eggs, a company controlled by Brazilian entrepreneur Ricardo Faria, is set to acquire US-based egg producer Hillandale Farms in a deal worth US$1.1 billion.

Faria confirmed the agreement, stating that Global Eggs, which operates from Luxembourg and runs Granja Faria in Brazil, is expanding its footprint in the egg industry.

He emphasized that the acquisition is not connected to the current shortage of eggs in the United States, which has been driven by avian influenza and has led to an increase in egg imports from Brazil.

Faria, who is often called the “Egg King,” believes egg consumption will continue growing, especially in Western countries.

He noted that over the past 15 years, eggs have transitioned from being a staple for lower-income households to becoming a widely consumed food across all economic levels.

Global Eggs was established in 2024, and its first international acquisition was Spain’s Grupo Hevo in November of the same year.

With the addition of Hillandale, Hevo, and Granja Faria, the combined revenue of these entities surpassed US$2 billion in 2024.

As part of the Hillandale deal, the private equity division of Brazilian investment bank BTG Pactual will invest US$300 million in Global Eggs, acquiring an 11% share in the company.

Before this acquisition, Global Eggs had been preparing for a public listing in New York, but Faria stated that the company will now focus on integrating Hillandale and strengthening its brands before revisiting those plans.

Poultry Industry Facing Mixed Market Conditions

The acquisition comes as Brazil’s poultry industry experiences fluctuations, with chicken meat prices varying across regions.

According to data from the Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics (Cepea), some areas in Brazil saw declining prices in January due to reduced consumer demand, while others experienced price increases due to supply shortages.

The drop in demand aligns with the typical seasonal trend when purchasing power is lower early in the year.

Despite this, Brazil’s poultry exports reached a record 5.294 million metric tons (MT) in 2024, reflecting a 3% rise compared to the 5.130 million MT exported in 2023.

Revenue from these exports grew by 1.3% year-over-year, reaching US$9.93 billion.

The leading buyers of Brazilian chicken meat remained China, the United Arab Emirates, and Japan, while Mexico also increased its imports and became one of the top 10 destinations.

In 2024, Mexico imported 212,500 MT of Brazilian chicken, a 22.6% rise from the previous year, positioning the country as the eighth-largest importer.

Meanwhile, Brazil’s egg exports fell sharply, totaling 18,469 MT in 2024, a 27.3% decline from the previous year.

Chile emerged as the largest buyer of Brazilian eggs, importing 6,871 MT, a 141.4% increase from 2023.

In contrast, exports of poultry genetics, including one-day-old chicks and fertile eggs, recorded a slight rise of 2.8%, reaching 27,229 MT in 2024.

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