February 12, 2007

Dutch pig breeder enters Romania

Dutch pig breeder Topigs has entered into a partnership with Romania's Genetic Material, making a foray into the Romanian market.

To start production and sale of a Topigs breeding herd, Genetic Material plans to build a new farm for 600 sows, which will produce Topigs-40 breeding gilts.

Genetic Material has so far been primarily active in production of day-old chicks for broiler farms and premix and concentrates manufacturing. Topigs normally operates in many countries with dealers that sell their breeding material.

Romania has joined the EU this year, has a population that enjoys pork, said a Topigs spokesman.

There are relatively more finishers than sows in Romania. This is also the reason for the increase in imports of weaners. In 2005 the Netherlands supplied 90,237 weaners to the country and last year, the Dutch export increased to 146,000 head.