Oz: pork processor calls in administrators
Hans Continental Smallgoods, a major Australian processed meat producer has gone into voluntary administration, after battling higher feed costs due to the drought and increased competition in the pork market.
Pork product range
Hans, employs about 1400 people, and makes ham, bacon, salami, sausages, franks and fresh pork products for the domestic and export markets. Mark Mentha, an appointed administrators said the company had been hurt by higher feed costs caused by the drought and increased competition from subsidised importers selling frozen ham.
Hans is owned by Japan Tobacco, which last month cancelled a proposed sale of the business to British-based private equity company Anchorage Capital Partners. It is also the major shareholder in Swickers, the second largest pork producer in Australia, which operates an abattoir and bacon factory in Kingaroy, Queensland, employing about 400 people.
A third company, Sun Pork Foods, which sells offal from the Kingaroy plant, is also in voluntary administration. Hans was established as a small butcher in Brisbane by Dutch-born chef Hans Van Der Drift in the 1960s.
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