Vion sells its ingredient division for 1.6 billion

October 14, 2013

BPEX Export Bulletin– 11 October 2013 (Week 41)

This week's export news

All the leading processors were in attendance at Anuga, the world's largest food fair held in Cologne this week. The mood in the meat halls was positive, backing up the latest export figures; pork exports in the year to July were 22% higher at 82,500 tonnes, sausage shipments increased by 7% and pig offal exports were 35% higher. Exporters also had the opportunity to join Defra Secretary of State Owen Paterson at a meat industry roundtable, chaired by AHDB chairman John Godfrey, which addressed actions Government could take to support the opening of key markets to UK red meat exports.

Away from the exhibition halls, EBLEX and BPEX organised the British Meat Dinner, which took place on Monday night at the Wolkenburg, an impressive baroque venue in Cologne. Around 250 contacts from around the world attended the event, which is designed to cement existing relationships and build new ones and everyone complimented the English hospitality.

Denmark

Slaughterhouse biogas plant

Next year a new biogas plant will be completed next to Danish Crown's slaughterhouse in Horsens. The system shall use material from the slaughterhouse and deliver gas to the national network. The plant is expected to supply biogas equivalent to the consumption of heat and electricity in 4,000 homes annually. (Source: JyllandsPosten).

In the red

According to new figures from the Danish Agriculture & Food Council, Danish pig producers, on average, loose €6.20 per head on slaughter pigs. The figures show that the top third of pig producers earn €2.30 per pig (Source: Jyllands-Posten).

Markets

Fresh legs are traded at unchanged prices. Other cuts are exported at stable or slightly lower prices. The UK bacon market remained stable. For markets outside Europe, good exports continue to be reported to the Russian market. Asian markets report a fair trade to China and stable exports to Japan.

Danish Slaughterhouses - payments week commencing 7 October 2013
Slaughterhouse	Danish Crown	Tican
Slaughter pigs (70.0 – 86.9 kg)	Euro 1.588	Euro 1.588
Difference to last week	unchanged	unchanged
Sows (Above 129.9 kg)	Euro 1.159	Euro 1.159
Difference to last week	unchanged	unchanged
Boars (Above 109.9 kg)	Euro 1.027	Euro 1.027
Difference to last week	unchanged	unchanged

France

Strike

The Géo-Madrange ham factory, based in Ablis, is expected to close down while the site is converted into a prepared meals factory. Employees are requesting a training plan and would like to claim unemployment benefits while the new factory upgraded. A one-day strike took place in September.

Cosnelle takes over Charcuteries Gourmandes

The Cosnelle group (€55 million and 240 staff) headed by Saïd Chabane includes a rillettes (Prestige de la Sarthe) factory in Cherré and 3 companies: Arcal in La Ferté St Bernard, Valansot in Thurin and Nivernoy in Nevers. The group is taking over Charcuteries Gourmandes which previously belonged to the Roullier group. Charcuteries Gourmandes has two sites, one in Villedômer (near Tours) with 50 staff producing rillettes, rillons and andouillettes and a second one in Josselin in Brittany with 150 staff manufacturing charcuterie, black pudding and ham.

Bright Food and ITP

Jacques Lemaître, President of ITP and Jean Yves Guillem, vice Chairman of AD (pig genetics) have agreed a partnership with the Chinese giant Bright Food. The objective of the second largest food company in China is to process a million pigs a year and improve technical performance. Bright Food is also the leading sugar producer in China and third largest dairy product producer.

Markets

Pigs

In spite of the stabilisation for Northern European prices the 56 TMP base price lost €0.012 cent last Monday in Plérin. We are hoping for a better market resulting in stable prices for pork butchers in the medium term.

Piglets

Fatteners are prudent so offers are limited all over France. FNP-FNCBV prices lost €0.12 for 25kg pigs and €2.12 for 8kg piglets last week.

Cuts

According to "Marché du porc Breton", German slaughterings were higher in September. Over the past 39 weeks, about 37.7 million pigs were slaughtered, that is 0.98% more than over the same period in 2012. In Denmark slaughterings were down 1.62%, and down 1.75% in the Netherlands. At the same time, slaughterings in the "Uniporc zone" moved back by 2.08%. To note: Brussels predicts a reduction of 3.6% in the European Union during the third quarter of 2013 and a further 3.5% for the fourth quarter.

Pork prices RUNGIS week commencing 7 October 2013
Cut name	Price range (Euro/Kg)
Back fat, rind-on	0.70
Trimmings	1.66
Leg	2.47
Loin including chump	3.00
Loin excluding chump	2.81
Belly extra without trimmings	2.67

Netherlands

Vion sells its ingredient division

Vion has sold its ingredient division (5,700 staff, 38 sites) to a US competitor Darling International for €1.6 billion. The business is involved in a wide range of activities in the production of ingredients for drugs, cosmetics, feed, food, energy and chemicals. The sale was unavoidable in view of Vion's debt mountain and the division has been operating independently since April in preparation for the sale. The company now only comprises its meat interests in the Netherlands and Germany with 12,650 staff. But Vion will not be supported any more by the lucrative ingredient business. (Source: Vion, various)

Germany

Pork prices Hamburg Market Week commencing 7 October 2013
Cut name	Price range (Euro/Kg)
Round cut leg	2.48/2.65
Leg (boneless, rindless max fat level 3mm	3.30/3.50
Boneless Shoulder	2.60/2.75
Picnic Shoulder	2.10/2.30
Collar	2.60/2.75
Belly (bone in, ex-breast)	2.40/2.60
Sheet Boned Belly (rindless)	2.45/2.70
Jowl	1.45/1.65
Half Pig Carcasses U class.	2.14/2.24

Brazil

Good prospects

According to Fabiano Closer, Director General of the Brazilian pig producers' association, pig production is now profitable, supported by strong internal demand, up by 400,000 tonnes between 2006 and 2013. Exports have remained fairly stable at 550 to 600,000 tonnes. The opening of new markets like Japan should support the growth of exports and a quality label for Brazilian pork is proposed. A pork week will take place during October to promote the product with Brazilian consumers. (Source: Eurocarne on line)

Ukraine

Pork production

According to the Ukrainian Pig Farmers Association date, pork production in the Ukraine in 2013 as a whole is predicted reach between 770,000 and 780,000 tonnes, 5 - 7% more than in 2012. Due to the increase in production, the share of the imported pork on the market is expected to decrease to around a third of the total volume. (Source: Pigua.info)

Foreign investment

The Governor of Kharkivska oblast of Ukraine made a statement regarding the construction of a large pig-breeding complex using funds form a US investor. The investment is reported to be in the region of US$700 million. (Source: latifundist.com)

Russia

Ukrainian Import terms

The Head of Rosselkhoznadzor, Sergey Dankvert, has said they may need to reconsider the current conditions of supply of Ukrainian meat to the Russian market due to the Ukrainian plans to sign the association agreement with the EU. (Source: TVI.ua)

China

Shineway will increase Smithfield's export

The president of Shineway Wan Long has in a joint interview with Larry Pope of Smithfield expressed that Shineway aims at increasing Smithfield's global pork exports. In addition to increased exports from Smithfield to the Chinese market, Wan Long also expects increased exports to Japan, Australia, South Korea and Europe. According to Larry Pope, Smithfield could, after the Chinese takeover, export more US pork in the form of cuts to the Chinese market. So far the majority of Smithfield's exports to China have consisted of by-products. (Source: Markedsnyt for Svinekoed)

Chinese wholesale prices week commencing 7 October 2013
	Price (RMB/Kg)	£/Kg	change on week
Pig Carcase	23.18	2.37	1.58%
Source: BOACL
Prices collected from wholesale markets in 36 medium and large Chinese cities
US$1 = EUR0.73 (October 14, 2013)

Video >

Follow Us

About Us

Company Profile

Our Team

Our Products & Services

Subscription

eNewsletter

Inquiry

Contact Us

Advertise With Us

Partner With Us