UK – Associated British Foods (ABF), a British multinational food processing, plans to buy local dairy technology firm National Milk Records (NMR) in a deal worth £48m (US$59.6m) to boost AB Agri, its agri-food unit. In an announcement to the London Stock Exchange, Kingsmill bread and Patak’s sauces owner said “AB Agri actively looks to add new, complementary capabilities through…
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Advans Côte d’Ivoire partners AFD in US$245,000 deal to finance maize producers’ access to inputs
CÔTE D’IVOIRE – Advans Côte d’Ivoire (Advans-CI), a microfinance institution and member of the Advans group, has signed a financing agreement of 150 million CFA francs (US$245,000) to implement a pilot program intended to finance cooperatives of maize producers. According to Ecofin Agency, Advans has partnered with Proparco, a subsidiary of the French Development Agency (AFD) dedicated to financing the…
Read MorePuratos USA expands West Coast operations with multiple investments
USA- Belgian ingredients supplier Puratos is expanding its West Coast operations with two key investments in the Los Angeles region. The two investments include a new manufacturing line at its Rancho Dominguez, Calif., facility and a planned relocation to a new warehouse and distribution facility in Gardena, Calif. According to Puratos, the new manufacturing line in Rancho Dominguez will double…
Read MoreMühlenchemie expands African capabilities with Stern Ingredients South Africa
SOUTH AFRICA- MC (Mühlenchemie) is expanding its presence in Africa, opening its third African location, Stern Ingredients South Africa, with labs and a technology center. The other two existing locations include one in Lagos and one in Nairobi, and this new addition means that MC can perform the entire value-addition chain in flour improvement and fortification on-site, from sourcing, rheology,…
Read MorePepsiCo opens a new US$238M snack plant in Poland
POLAND – PepsiCo, American food and drink giant has opened a new 1-billion-zloty (US$238M) snack plant in the southwestern Polish village of Święte, Bakery and Snacks has reported. According to Bakery and Snacks, the facility, which will produce Lay’s and Doritos among other brands, is the firm’s fifth plant in Poland and its biggest investment so far in the country.…
Read MoreTingo Group grants US$6.5m to boost rice and wheat cultivation in Nigeria
NIGERIA –Tingo Group, a global Fintech and Agri-Fintech group of companies has provided a US$6.5 million loan facility to the All-Farmers Association of Nigeria (“AFAN”) aimed at developing 3,000 hectares of agricultural land to cultivate rice and wheat. According to Tingo, the initiative is intended to generate an additional 6,000 Metric Tons of wheat per annum and an additional 16,000…
Read MoreJana Partners files lawsuit against Freshpet over breached fiduciary responsibilities
USA- Activist investor Jana Partners’s fire on New Jersey-based Freshpet intensifies as it files a lawsuit alleging the pet-food company breached its fiduciary duties. The investor recently blasted Freshpet over governance changes that could impact the investor’s ability to secure board seats, and has now turned that complaint into a legal undertaking, filing a lawsuit in the Court of Chancery…
Read MoreCargill to divest China poultry unit to private equity firm DCP Capital
CHINA- Global agribusiness and commodities trading giant Cargill recently announced that it is selling its poultry business in China to private equity firm DCP Capital, citing an increasingly challenging business environment for foreign players in the Chinese meat market. The divested unit is known as Cargill Protein China, and it started operating in the Asian superpower in 2011, breeding, raising,…
Read MoreBrazil’s BRF draws share pledges from Saudi Arabia’s Salic and Marfrig
BRAZIL-Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Co. (SALIC) and Marfrig have each committed to purchasing 250 million shares in any “future primary” share offering by Brazilian meat giant BRF. BRF has a potential US$900 million stock offering and these two players will be taking up the majority of this offering. SALIC, which was formed in 2011 to secure food supplies for…
Read MorePepsiCo South Africa’s subsidiary Pioneer Foods takes full ownership of Futurelife Health
SOUTH AFRICA – Pioneer Foods, a subsidiary of PepsiCo South Africa has acquired the remaining half of Futurelife Health, eight years after buying its initial stake in the maker of nutrient-dense breakfast cereals and snacks. BizCommunity reports that the transaction, which is subject to some administrative condition’s precedent, is expected to close and be effective in the first week of…
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