Deal PIC China and Shennong

PIC China signed a multi-year partnership agreement with Yunnan Shennong Agricultural Industry Group to provide 50,000 sows for a new production pyramid. This agreement also includes the stocking of a multiplication farm with the capacity to produce 30,000 GP gilts a year, as well as the establishment of a sire line nucleus to produce high-quality terminal boars in China.

Both farms will be stocked with animals bearing the most advanced, high-health genetics from PIC’s genetic nucleus in the US.

Yunnan Shennong is an integrated pork producer and one of the most progressive pig farming companies that has reached the milestone of 30 PSY production in China.

Ceva buys vaccines company

Animal health company Ceva has purchased Biovac Laboratories, a manufacturer of autogenous (bacterial) vaccines, allergy treatments and reagents based in Angers, France.

Biovac, like Ceva, has experienced strong growth for several years as veterinarians seek alternatives to control bacterial conditions often now difficult to treat with ‘classic’ antibiotherapy. The company has significant expertise in microbiology, allowing it to provide custom-made solutions for veterinarians and their customers.

Ceva already offers custom vaccines to leading poultry and swine producers in other parts of the world. Auto vaccines are produced only after identification and diagnosis of the disease serotype by a qualified veterinarian. In cases where a ‘standard vaccine’ will not be effective, custom vaccines can be produced and prescribed by the vet in 4 to 5 weeks.

Nedap & Hog Slat team up

Nedap has appointed Hog Slat as the supplier of parts and services for Nedap’s Electronic Sow Feeding (ESF) systems in the United States. As a dealership, Hog Slat offers pork producers convenient access to Nedap ESF systems through its numerous US locations.

Photo: Nedap

For Hog Slat, it is the first ESF system the company has offered. Nedap, headquartered in the Netherlands, has many experience with the construction and marketing of ESF systems across Europe and elsewhere around the globe. ESF systems use technology to help producers feed sows individually within groups.

Cooperation to market sow vaccine

Spanish animal health company CZ Veterinaria (CZV) and Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health will cooperate to provide the sow vaccine Entericolix to the European market. CZV has developed and registered the vaccine in Europe; Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health will use its distribution network and technical support to provide the vaccine to customers.

Entericolix provides 21 days of immunity against diarrhoea in piglets caused by E. coli and C. perfringens Type C. Thus, the vaccine reduces mortality and clinical signs caused by E. coli neonatal diarrhoea and Necrotic Enteritis. Furthermore, it provides protection against early onset of oedema disease caused by F18 E. coli up to 28 days of age (7 days after weaning).

BI tackles parasitic diseases

More news on Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, as the company has initiated first steps for a partnership to discover new treatments for parasitic diseases which affect pets and livestock. The company does this together with the Drug Discovery Unit of the University of Dundee, Scotland and the Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine (IPTVM) of the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.

“There is a continuous need for innovative antiparasitic solutions for animals. Therefore, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health is excited to partner with two world leading institutions towards the discovery of new antiparasitics for the benefit of our customers,” said Prof Paul M. Selzer, the company’s head of Antiparasitics Research & Development.

Roxell: Expanding in USA, Malaysia

Growth plans have driven Roxell to build a new, larger factory in Malaysia and to an expansion of the infrastructure of Roxell USA. Early next year Roxell Malaysia will move into a new building near Port Klang. The building has a surface area of 6,400 m², almost three times that of the current location. Increasing both its production and storage capacity in Asia enables Roxell to expand its local product offering with a view to serving the Asian market more rapidly and efficiently.

Photo: Roxell

In addition, the Roxell USA plant in Missouri will be expanded by an area of 3,000 m². This location will thus be developed into a hub for the American continent. After these expansions Roxell will have a total factory space of 39,000 m², of which 21,000 m² in Belgium. The company currently employs 260 people worldwide.

MSD buys health company Brazil

Merck/MSD Animal Health announced early July that it has acquired a controlling interest in Vallée, a privately held producer of animal health products in Brazil. Vallée has an extensive portfolio of more than 100 products spanning parasiticides, anti-infectives and vaccines. The company’s portfolio includes products for livestock, horses and companion animals. Vallée was founded with the mission of producing a Foot-and-Mouth Disease vaccine for Brazil and has expanded, with distribution centers in Brazil and operations in Paraguay, Venezuela, Mexico and Bolivia.

GlobalVetLink’s new connections

GlobalVetLink, providing a web-based system for companies to comply with new US veterinary feed directives, has been teaming up with various companies in the US animal health industry. Phibro Animal Health, PigChamp and the Swine Vet Center in St Peter, MN, did so over the past few months.

GVL’s FeedLink web-based VFD system provides end-to-end management of veterinary feed directives, helping to ensure compliance with the Veterinary Feed Directive for veterinarians, producers and feed manufacturers. GVL SmartEngine technology helps ensure animal health documents are accurate, complete and compliant.

Danish Crown buys SPF-Denmark

Danish Crown acquired with SPF-Denmark. Danish Crown acquired pork producer Tican’s 10% stake, and now possesses all shares of SPF-Denmark. The acquisition was announced in May, and was initially subject to approval by the European Commission. The EC decided not to oppose the merger because SPF-Denmark “is primarily active within the trading and transportation of piglets and breeding animals in Denmark and abroad as well as transportation of finisher pigs to slaughterhouses in Denmark. SPF Denmark is not active within the production of piglets, breeding animals or finisher pigs.”

Maple Leaf expands bacon plant

Maple Leaf Foods received CAN$500,000 (€348,000) towards an expansion project planned for the company’s bacon processing plant in Winnipeg, MN, Canada. The funding is from the Canadian federal government and the Manitoba provincial government. Once complete, the expanded bacon plant will produce 8 million kg of bacon annually. The funding will be invested in new processing equipment.

The total cost of the project is estimated at more than CAN$5.9 million (€4.1 million) and is expected to be completed later this year. The project is part of a larger C$35 million (€24.4 million) expansion of the plant.

HKScan: larger Polish bacon plant

As part of its growth strategy, Finnish meat processor HKScan will expand the group’s bacon plant in Swinoujscie, Poland. The investment will augment the unit’s capacity and provide a modern production technology enabling the group to develop new products and improve its product quality.

HKScan’s production plant in Poland is one of the group’s most technologically sophisticated units. The investment is valued at approximately €12 million and it is scheduled for completion by the end of 2017.