SAO PAULO, Sept 16 (Reuters) - JBS ,

the world's largest meat company, sees the European meat market

as "fragmented" and therefore full of acquisition opportunities,

Wesley Batista, controlling shareholder of the company now

listed in New York, said on Tuesday during an event broadcast

live.

Speaking alongside Marcos Molina, controlling shareholder of

rival companies Marfrig and BRF, Batista

and Molina answered questions from the event's host regarding

the dominant role of certain Brazilian companies in the global

meat trade.

"No doubt," said Batista when asked about the prospect of

pursuing acquisitions worldwide. "There are lots of

opportunities in Europe and in other countries," he added.

JBS's listing in New York earlier this year gives the

company access to a wider pool of investors, helping it lower

the cost of capital and compete against peers like Tyson

in the U.S. and large listed rivals in Brazil, including Minerva

.

But while in Europe the company can still expand via

takeovers, in the United States and Brazil that would not be the

case, given competition concerns that would be raised by

antitrust authorities.

"I can't acquire any more beef, pork, and chicken

(processors) because we have around 20% to 25% of the North

American market for these three proteins," Batista said.

He noted the situation is similar in Brazil, making it

unlikely for JBS to pursue acquisitions in the local processed

foods segment, for example.

Batista also said during the panel discussion that the use

of drugs like Mounjaro and Ozempic is boosting demand for

protein around the world, which is positive for food companies

in general.

Batista said 15 million Americans make frequent use of such

weight-loss drugs, adding that no data is yet available to

quantify the rise in meat demand tied to the use of these drugs.