Olymel, Groupe Robitaille partner in pork business

The executives of Groupe Robitaille and Olymel L.P. have  signed an agreement to enter into a business partnership in Aliments Lucyporc of Yamachiche, in the St. Maurice Valley region of Quebec. Aliments Lucyporc, a hog slaughtering, butchering and processing firm owned by Groupe Robitaille, under the agreement would be equally owned by Groupe Robitaille and Olymel through an exchange of shares.
The joint venture would continue to operate under the name Aliments Lucyporc. This agreement in principle encompasses the hog slaughtering, butchering, processing and pork products marketing sectors, as well as Viandes Dunham, a meat processing company serving the hotel, restaurant and institutional (HRI) sector which is owned by Groupe Robitaille. This partnership agreement will be subject to approval by Canada’s Competition Bureau.
Apart the farms belonging to Groupe Robitaille, which would continue to supply the Aliments Lucyporc plant according to the demanding specifications for the production of distinctive niche products, this agreement does not affect other activities in which Olymel and Groupe Robitaille are involved.
Aliments Lucyporc employs over 350 persons at its Yamachiche processing plant, while Viandes Dunham has more than 30 employees. These jobs will be maintained, the companies stated. Aliments Lucyporc specializes in quality niche products such as Nagano pork, and exports much of its production to Japan and several other countries under different brands.
"Groupe Robitaille looks forward to this strategic partnership with a solid firm such as Olymel, which has extensive market experience and numerous, diverse capacities in the field of food processing, and anticipates its future with great confidence. I encourage everyone who works at Aliments Lucyporc and Viandes Dunham to share in this confidence. I firmly believe that the companies founded by our family, which we would like to see grow, will advance further on the path of excellence with Olymel. The synergies that will result from this alliance in terms of developing new markets, technical expertise and added value are part of a long-term vision that will enable us to better respond to the challenges of the markets," said Groupe Robitaillle President Claude Robitaille.
Within this partnership, the Lucyporc plant at Yamachiche will continue to operate under the current management, and the joint venture will continue to honor its commitments to its customers. This alliance will enable Olymel and Aliments Lucyporc to pool their strengths and resources to develop new markets, as well as strengthen both partners' positions on niche markets.
"Olymel is proud to partner with a company like Groupe Robitaillein Aliments Lucyporc which for 15 years, has occupied a prominent position on several markets as a dynamic, innovative firm that excels at serving demanding customers, in both Canada and many other countries. In the field of processing, Olymel and Aliments Lucyporc can now benefit from the synergies that will result from this partnership, their respective expertise and shared experiences, here and elsewhere in the world. The Robitaille family and its management have been able to develop niche markets with a view to achieving excellence and offering products with unique characteristics, and have shown great mastery in managing and developing a company that is truly a standout in the Quebec and Canadian pork sectors,"  added Olymel L.P. President and CEO Réjean Nadeau.

Italy pig sector holds crisis talks

A crisis meeting with pig sector representatives has been called by the Italian government’s minister of agriculture after several thousand pork producers staged a demonstration outside the Stock Exchange in Milan and two national agricultural organizations issued warnings of a sector-wide collapse.
They say the livelihood of many people is at risk because the price paid to producers has failed to rise in line with production costs. By their calculation, about 120,000 people are involved in the pork chain in Italy, from production on the farm through to slaughter, processing and meat distribution. The organizations, called Confagricoltura and Coldiretti, protest that the primary producer in Italy receives less than 16% of the final retail price charged for pork while battling against at least a 17% rise in the cost of feed this year resulting from the involvement of speculators in international commodity markets.
Concerns also have been raised about the importing of pork, with one organization claiming that three out of every four hams now sold in Italy have been produced in another country. There is even a claim that many hams marketed as being of Italian origin in fact originate from imported meat.

SPACE to focus on international challenges facing livestock industry

SPACE's visitor numbers are set once more to top 100,000, and the show’s international profile is growing.

The annual livestock trade show, SPACE 2011, September 13-16, at the Rennes Exhibition Centre, France, is focusing on the international challenges facing the poultry, pig and feed industries while celebrating its 25th anniversary and largest show to date.
In the past year, the livestock industry has improved from 2009 and 2010 levels despite high feed prices. The dairy and pig industries have experienced a slight increase in price, which made up for increased animal feed costs because of high cereal prices. Escalating feed costs also are directly impacting other areas of meat production, particularly poultry, where the current market is largely export driven. A further area of concern is the developing drought that is placing many farms at risk.
International presence growing
As of May, SPACE has 1,100 exhibitors — an increase of about 50 and more than 6,000 m² of stand area requested compared to 2010. SPACE is attracting more international companies — about 300 — and has 159 first-time exhibitors. The show will have 10 halls of exhibitions and is conveniently located next to the Saint-Jacques Airport in Rennes.
The 25th SPACE will offer plenty of opportunities for meetings and contacts among exhibitors representing the full range of equipment, products and services for all livestock species and trade visitors interested in developing and maintaining their business, particularly livestock farmers (60% of visitors in 2010) looking to optimise and modernise their operations.
Visitor numbers are set once more to top 100,000, and the show’s international profile is growing. In 2010, 9,336 international visitors from 107 different countries came to SPACE. As a result of the considerable resources SPACE invests abroad with the support of the Brittany Regional Council, a large number of delegations from every continent have already registered. International visitors will be able to choose from an extensive menu of services offered by the show’s different partners: ADEPTA, Bretagne International, UBI-France, CCI International and Enterprise Europe Network.
Educational, networking opportunities
A range of symposia and conferences once again make SPACE the focus for sharing at every level. New to the show, this year is the International Raw Materials Forum, held on September 16, sponsored by the Association of Animal Feed Compounders.
This year, SPACE is offering a Job Dating event organised by the Association for Employment in Agriculture.The principle of Job Dating is built on a "flash" meeting (about 15 minutes) between a potential employer and a person seeking employment. This is an initial contact for open positions or projects in the medium term. Work placements at the end of study courses also will be considered.
International visitors and exhibitors will have access to the International Club, a VIP reception area and meeting place that offers free Internet, interpreting services, refreshments and access to sign up for several planned farm tours.
Research, development platform
Feeding an ever-growing population means maintaining levels of agricultural production while reducing the use of chemical and non-renewable resources while protecting the environment —just some of the future challenges the world of agriculture must resolve.
Occupying a central position at SPACE, the 2011 Platform offers opportunities for information and discussion on Ecologically Intensive Agriculture practices. Farmers who are already integrating this new approach and advisers from the Chambers of Agriculture will be on hand to explain how farmers can adopt Ecologically Intensive Agriculture to their arable and livestock enterprises. No matter the sector — dairy, pigs or poultry — or the type of system — conventional or organic — Ecologically Intensive Agriculture is a progressive and innovative approach applicable not only at parcel or whole-farm level, but also at a regional level.

Global pig industry unites to reduce carbon footprint

Pig industry organizations from around the world are in talks about starting a coordinated international campaign to keep the environmental impact of pork production as low as possible.
Industry leaders met recently in Washington, D.C., and will convene again at the World Pork Conference, announced by the International Meat Secretariat, which takes place Oct. 6 and 7 in Bonn, Germany.
IMS Pork Committee Deputy Chairman Mick Sloyan, from the British Pig Executive, told Pig International that the Washington meeting revealed that they have developed so-called roadmaps on how to reduce the carbon footprint of pig meat. The pig organizations are currently coordinating messages on careful environmental stewardship and are looking at proposals to start a routine exchange of technical information obtained from research from individual countries.
Watch Pig International Editor Roger Abbott and Sloyan discuss monitoring the global impact of pig production.

Pig breeder announces new franchise for Netherlands market

Pig breeding stock supplier PIC, part of Genus plc, has signed a franchise agreement with Elite Groep bv to deliver the company’s genetic improvement to the Dutch market.
The new company, PIC NL, will operate as PIC’s sole franchisee in the Netherlands, taking over all current business. Elite Groep will operate the franchise separately from its sister company, the production and trading business Elite Varkens bv, and PIC will continue to provide marketing and technical support to the business in the Netherlands, ensuring access to its genetics and international know-how.
“The creation of this new company offers an exciting way forward for our continued growth in the Netherlands market," said Ian Bond of PIC Europe. "It allows us to focus attention on our core business of creating and delivering genetic improvement and economic benefits to all customers.”
Paul van Der Meijden, general manager of PIC NL, called the franchise an important new venture for Elite Groep. “We see that the aims of our two companies are very much in line," said van Der Meijden. "In the current climate the total economy message has never been more important for Dutch farmers, and we believe this fits very well with PIC’s long history of developing genetics that are aimed at maximizing customer profitability.”

China increasing soybean imports due to record pig production

China may boost international soybean purchases 33% to 66.9 million metric tons by 2014, a 16.6 million-ton increase.

China may boost international soybean purchases 33% to 66.9 million metric tons by 2014, a 16.6 million-ton increase, due to doubled meat consumption — particularly pork — established over the last two decades.
Almost half the world’s pig meat comes from China, which has 689 million pigs and will be responsible for all of 2011's increase in global supply, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “U.S. farm trade with China may double in the next five years,” said Michael Swanson, the senior agricultural economist in Minneapolis for Wells Fargo & Co. A significant part of this trade will include soybeans.
China is expected to import 57 million metric tons of soybeans in the 12 months to October 2011, more than twice the amount five years ago and 60% of the global total, according to the USDA. As domestic agricultural output failed to keep pace with demand in 2010, China’s imports jumped 34% to $17.52 billion. Pork accounts for about 75% of Chinese meat demand.