Hohenau Mayor Enrique Hahn announced progress on the city's industrial park, which has 64 lots and is already in an advanced implementation phase. The most emblematic project is a shrimp processing plant run by the international consortium South Atlantic Paraguay, with capital from Spain and other countries. The total investment is approximately US$40 million, under a food maquila model aimed at exports.
According to Hahn, the plant will have the capacity to process about 20,000 kilograms of shrimp daily, which will arrive frozen from vessels operating in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. The final product will be exported to markets in Europe and North America. The venture will start with about 200 workers, but operating in three shifts could reach up to 600 direct jobs. Operations will be continuous, as it is an industrial cold storage facility requiring 24-hour cold processing.
The industrial park also includes other projects, such as a pillow factory and a bean storage plant for export, in partnership with local producers. Hahn also mentioned investment proposals from Brazil and Argentina, consolidating Hohenau as a new industrial hub in the border region. Infrastructure improvements include road upgrades to the local port and installation of a 26-megawatt electrical substation to supply the park.
The mayor emphasized that Hohenau has one of the lowest poverty rates in the department of Itapúa, about 9.7% according to the census, and highlighted the city's productive and immigrant tradition. The project has support from the National Government and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.