ForFarmers, Team Agrar finalise joint venture in Germany 

GERMANY – Veteran animal feed producers ForFarmers and Team Agrar have officially formed their joint venture, ForFarmers Team Agrar, following their initial announcement on September 4, 2024.

The companies confirmed that all necessary conditions for the transaction, including approval from the local competition authority, have been met. 

Combining their expertise and resources, the joint venture aims to strengthen its market position and enhance operational efficiency within Germany’s feed sector.

Structured as a 50/50 partnership, the joint venture integrates the feed activities and employees from both companies’ German operations. It will encompass approximately 250 employees from ForFarmers and 130 from Team Agrar.

The collaboration builds on an existing relationship between ForFarmers and Team Agrar through their joint venture, HaBeMa, which is based in Hamburg and specialises in trading, storing, and producing raw materials and compound feed. HaBeMa, with its 130 employees, will also be integrated into the new structure.

Collectively, the venture will oversee eight feed production sites, three terminals, and a dedicated vehicle fleet. The strategic partnership is expected to create new growth opportunities, leverage combined strengths, and improve profitability for both parties.

Expanding their cooperation into a broader feed business is seen as a logical step in response to the increasing demands of the German agricultural industry.

ForFarmers is a leading European company specialising in livestock feed solutions, with a diverse portfolio catering to all major livestock species in Germany. 

Team Agrar, meanwhile, brings expertise across various agricultural sectors, including grain collection, trading, and the supply of seeds, fertilisers, and plant protection products.

The joint venture will be managed by Ernst Friedlaender (ForFarmers), Markus Green (Team Agr), and Jes-Christian Hansen (HaBeMa), with Friedlaender serving as managing director.

However, certain activities will remain outside the agreement’s scope. ForFarmers’ Thesing, Pavo, Reudink, CirQlar, Vleuten brands, and Team Agrar’s non-feed-related activities, including organic feed, construction, and energy, will not be part of the new venture.

This development follows the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) provisionally clearing Boparan Holdings’ proposed acquisition of ForFarmers’ Burston and Radstock feed mills.

Boparan Holdings, the parent company of 2 Sisters Food Group—the UK’s largest poultry company—first proposed acquiring the two agricultural feed mills from ForFarmers in September 2023.

However, the CMA initially raised concerns, particularly regarding the Burston site, prompting an investigation into the deal’s potential impact on competition in East Anglia.

Despite these concerns, the CMA’s independent inquiry group recently concluded that the merger does not pose significant risks to market competition, clearing the way for the acquisition.

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