Wech plans 35 million euro poultry production hall

Carinthia’s largest processor of broiler chickens, Wech, plans to invest 35 million euros in a new production hall in St. Andrä in Lavanttal over the next year, ORF reported.

The 3,500-square-metre facility will include chilled and frozen storage rooms. Once it is complete, cutting and filleting will be fully automated, while robots will handle distribution, weight checks and packaging.

Wech aims to increase its slaughter capacity by 40 percent within three years. The company said the investment responds to continued demand for poultry meat.

Poultry is the third-largest sector in Carinthian agriculture after dairy and beef, with annual sales of around 50 million euros. At the groundbreaking ceremony, provincial agriculture official Martin Gruber said the expansion would help secure sales for the company’s partner poultry farmers for years to come. The investment is also expected to support jobs at Wech and in local agriculture.