AB Vista Broadens Gut-Health Portfolio with Product Acquisition

AB Vista has extended its product offering with the acquisition of Progres®, a natural additive from Finnish biosciences company Hankkija. 

Progres® is a patented natural resin acids product that improves gut integrity by reducing inflammation and stimulates tissue recovery with a healing effect. It also beneficially modulates intestinal microbiota, favouring butyrate producers and lactobacilli, reducing the growth of Gram-positive pathogens.

First developed in 2015, Progres® improves performance in poultry, swine and ruminants, and is an important part of antibiotic-free production systems.  

AB Vista’s Managing Director Juan Ignacio Fernández said: “Progres® is an exciting natural product based on strong research and scientific background that supports a more sustainable approach to animal production, so fits well with our whole ethos at AB Vista.

“Adding Progres® to our portfolio expands the support we can provide nutritionists, veterinarians and production managers, looking for strategies and production programmes that deliver improved gut health, nutritional optimisation, and food safety & security. This acquisition also demonstrates our commitment to growing our offer into the wider additives market.” 

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Following the press release of 9 January 2023, ForFarmers and 2Agriculture announce that they have decided to abandon the proposed joint venture plans. The parties have taken into consideration, among other things, the current impact on their respective businesses, the duration and costs involved and the impact this process has on both employees and farmers.

ForFarmers UK and 2Agriculture announced their intention to merge their businesses into a joint venture on 1 July 2022, to better serve farmers’ needs through a balanced feed portfolio across species. ForFarmers and 2Agriculture continue to believe that the joint venture would have made for a robust business, with improved expertise and presence across species, to successfully meet the changing demands from the entire value chain. This included helping farmers realise the transition towards a more sustainable way of farming with enhanced returns. The proposed joint venture would have invested in driving improvements and optimising services in the most efficient manner, with a focus on further improving production efficiency and feed quality to the benefit of both farmers and end consumers.

This press release contains information that qualifies as inside information within the meaning of Article 7 paragraph 1 of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

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Alltech Crop Science has acquired Ideagro, based in Murcia, Spain. This partnership joins two leading platforms to accelerate soil and crop research, and to enhance biological and other microorganism-based offerings to Alltech Crop Science customers throughout the world. 

“We are excited to announce that Ideagro has joined the Alltech Crop Science global team, providing us with a partner who shares our vision and significantly scaling our research capabilities,” said Andy Thomas, CEO of Alltech Crop Science. “This is the strengthening of a longstanding partnership. We have worked closely with the Ideagro team since their founding 11 years ago.”

Ideagro is a leader in agri-food research and development with a team of more than 20 scientists. It is committed to improving the productivity and profitability of agricultural systems. Its expertise in developing beneficial organisms for soil aids the growth of crops, reduces the impact of chemical inputs and helps plants to resist biotic and abiotic stress. Ideagro’s analytical capabilities, with special emphasis on in-vitro research, phytopathology, soil dynamics and microorganisms, further enable growers to identify microorganisms and quantify enzymatic activity in the soil.

“We are facing a great growth opportunity for Ideagro because we are going to have better means and more technological capacity to develop our research, which will now have a global projection,” said Pedro Palazón, CEO of Ideagro. “We will no longer only study the soils of the Iberian Peninsula, but we will work with soils from all over the world to achieve more sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture.”  

Ideagro has state-of-the-art laboratories and experimental research stations and fields for carrying out trials in Spain. To date, the company has researched more than 90 different crops and performed more than 10,000 physicochemical and biological analyses. This has led to the development of new agricultural strategies based on microorganisms.

Ideagro’s three laboratories are fully equipped with the latest technologies to focus on nutraceuticals, phytopathology, research and development and molecular biology. Its services include:

• Precise diagnoses, identification and semi-quantification of more than 290 microorganisms at the species level in different crops. Through the development of multispecific detection kits, it can simultaneously detect up to 40 pathogenic microorganisms in a single sample, with results in 24-48 hours.
• Molecular identification of microorganisms as well as genetic characterisation of specific strains and determination of pathotypes of a pathogen.
• Analysis of nematodes.
• Design of specific probes for specific microorganisms. As a result, Ideagro is able to detect specific microorganisms in soil, water, plant material and biostimulants.
• Mycotoxin analyses. With more than 15,000 analyses carried out to date, Ideagro can identify and quantify the risks of aflatoxin B1, fumonisins, zearalenone and deoxynivalenol trichothecenes and T2 toxin. It provides monthly data on mycotoxin contamination in animal feed and in the main crops of the Spanish and European markets.

Ideagro is accredited by MAPAMA (EOR 82/13) and has ISO 9001:2015 certification. In June 2021, it was named a Reference Regional Laboratory by GLOSOLAN, the Global Soil Laboratory division of the FAO.

“The combination of the Ideagro expertise with the reach and scale of Alltech will allow us to extend world-leading understanding of the interface between soil, crop, animal and human health to the global market,” said Andy Thomas, CEO of Alltech Crop Science. “The potential implications of these insights cannot be understated as we endeavor to improve the vitality of our global food system, from the ground up.”

For more information about Alltech Crop Science, visit alltech.com/crop-science.

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Remedies offered by ForFarmers UK and 2Agriculture in relation to planned joint venture not accepted by CMA

ForFarmers and 2Agriculture announce that they have offered remedies (also referred to as ‘undertakings in lieu’ of reference (UILs)) to the UK competition and markets authority (CMA). The parties offered remedies in response to the CMA’s announcement on 21 December 2022 that the proposed joint venture would be referred for an in-depth Phase 2 investigation unless the parties offered acceptable remedies to address the CMA’s competition concerns.

The CMA has today announced on the case page that it does not consider the proposed remedies would effectively address its competition concerns with the proposed joint venture.

 ForFarmers and 2Agriculture are considering their next steps.

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Wynnstay Group Acquires Feed Manufacturer and Supplier, Tamar Milling Limited

Wynnstay is pleased to announce that it has acquired the entire share capital of Tamar Milling Limited (“Tamar”), a manufacturer and supplier of blended feed products, for an initial consideration of £1.4m, with a deferred consideration of up to £0.1m payable dependent on performance. The acquisition is expected to be immediately earnings enhancing.

Established in 1994, Tamar is based in Whitstone, Cornwall, and manufactures and supplies a range of blended and coarse mix feed rations for dairy cows, cattle, and sheep to approximately 250 farmers, mainly in the south-west of England. Approximately 25,000 tonnes of feed is supplied annually. Tamar also operates a successful ‘on-farm’ grain milling service for farmers wanting to use home-grown or purchased grain in their livestock rations. Following its acquisition, Tamar’s founder, Nick Furse, will join Wynnstay in a senior commercial feed role and continue to lead Tamar’s operations.

In the year ended 30 September 2021, Tamar generated revenues of £6.40m, and a profit before tax of £0.42m.  Net assets at 30 September 2021 were £0.92m. 

The acquisition of Tamar is in line with the Group’s strategy of acquiring businesses that complement its existing activities and bring further benefits. Tamar significantly strengthens the Company’s presence in the south-west of England, adds a new farming customer base, additional supply chain relationships and significant cross-selling opportunities. It also establishes Wynnstay with its first feed manufacturing facility in the region, enabling it to provide its own bulk feed offering in the area.

The initial consideration of £1.4m paid on completion is subject to a net asset adjustment to be calculated based on completion accounts. The deferred consideration of up to £0.1m is payable dependent on product volumes transacted in the first twelve months following completion. The Group is funding the acquisition from its existing resources.

The acquisition of Tamar is the potential acquisition referred to in the Company’s announcement of 17 August. The second larger potential acquisition referred to in the same announcement is no longer under consideration as commercially acceptable terms were not reached. The Company continues to review a number of acquisition opportunities that meet its strategic priorities. 

Gareth Davies, Chief Executive Officer of Wynnstay Group plc, commented: “Tamar is a long-established, high-quality manufacturer and supplier of blended animal feed and ‘on-farm’ grain milling services to farmers in the south-west of England. Like Wynnstay, it places a strong emphasis on customer service, and has a significant customer base.

“Tamar is highly complementary and will be immediately earnings enhancing. It fulfils multiple acquisition criteria. It increases our presence in the south-west, adds new farmer customers and provides us with our first feed manufacturing facility in the area. We look forward to working with our new colleagues and to continuing Tamar’s successful growth.”

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