July 2, 2009
Baiada and Bartter merger gets green light
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) have allowed Baiada Poultry to acquire Bartter Enterprises, which owns the Steggles brand.
The ACCC allowed the acquisition after Baiada agreed to sell some of its Victorian assets to La Ionica Poultry. Baiada, after acquiring Bartter, will also divest all assets currently owned by Bartter in Victoria to La Ionic Poultry.
The assets include Bartter's Geelong processing plant, associated breeding farms and hatcheries and Bartter's North Melbourne feed mill.
La Ionica currently operates a chicken processing facility in Thomastown and is a major supplier of whole dressed birds to customers, mainly in Victoria and to less a extent in New South Wales.
The commission said the expansion of La Ionica will provide an alternative supplier and increase competition to the newly merged company.
Baiada, Bartter and Ingham are major poultry processors in Australia, supplying the majority of chicken meat to big buyers.
At this stage, an acquisition date has not been finalised.
