The board of Pilgrim's Pride said it is convening a special committee of directors to evaluate meatpacker JBS's proposal to acquire the rest of the company's shares.

JBS, which already owns about 82% of Pilgrim's Pride, said earlier this week that it would pay 2.1 of its shares for each outstanding share of the poultry producer.

Pilgrim's Pride said Thursday that it has received the proposal and would review it, with no assurance that a transaction will follow.

Taking over Pilgrim's Pride, the second-largest U.S. chicken company, completely would give JBS shareholders exposure to bigger and more diversified global business, JBS said this week.