Cooperativa Tradição inaugurates soybean processing plant in Pato Branco with a capacity of 3,000 tons per day.

The Tradição Agroindustrial Cooperative inaugurated its Soybean Oil and Meal Plant, located in the Tradição Industrial Complex in Pato Branco (PR). The event brought together directors of the cooperative, Governor Carlos Massa Ratinho Júnior, the president of Ocepar, José Roberto Ricken, state and federal deputies, state secretaries, Mayor Géri Natalino Dutra, the advisor to the Court of Auditors of Paraná, Augustinho Zucchi, as well as various leaders and cooperative members.

Considered the largest investment in the cooperative's history, the project marks a new cycle of growth for the soybean production chain. With an investment of R$770 million, the industrial plant has the capacity to process up to 3,000 tons of soybeans per day. According to the operations director, Estefano Stemmer Júnior, the plant will begin operations in April and anticipates crushing 620,000 tons in its first year. The project received financial support from institutions such as Finep, BNDES, BRDE, Caixa Econômica Federal, Banco do Brasil, Itaú, Banco ABC, and Sicredi.

According to Julinho Tonus, president of Tradição, the opening of the factory represents a strategic advancement built collectively. “This undertaking is the result of solid planning and joint work between the cooperative and its members. The new factory reinforces our commitment to value creation, expanding opportunities, and sustainability, efficiently serving the production needs of our members,” he states.

During the ceremony, Governor Ratinho Júnior highlighted Paraná's leading role in national and international agribusiness, emphasizing the role of cooperatives in strengthening the economy. The president of Ocepar, José Roberto Ricken, highlighted the growth trajectory of Tradição, which went from processing seeds to wheat and now to producing soybean oil and meal. The mayor of Pato Branco, Géri Natalino Dutra, emphasized the impact of the investment on job creation and strengthening the local economy, while council member Augustinho Zucchi reinforced the role of cooperatives in the economic and social transformation of the region.

The new industrial complex also expands the cooperative's storage capacity, adding 200,000 tons of grains, 60,000 tons of soybean meal, and 12,000 tons of soybean oil. According to CEO Fernando Alan Tonus, the plant incorporates Industry 4.0 technologies, reduces particulate emissions, eliminates liquid effluents, reuses water, and utilizes biomass from planted forests as an energy source, without impacting native areas. The total area of the complex is 61 hectares, with 19.6 hectares designated for environmental conservation, including Legal Reserve and Permanent Preservation Area.

At the ceremony, Julinho Tonus also recounted the cooperative's history in southwestern Paraná, highlighting its role in the growth of agribusiness and its commitment to regional development, generating opportunities, and strengthening the production chain.