France's Avril in talks with Bigard group to sell two pork firms
French agri-food group Avril said on 28 September it was in exclusive talks with meat group Bigard to sell its majority stakes in pork processing companies Abera and Porcgros.
29 September 2021
3 minute read
By: According to Reuters, Avril said in April it had decided to withdraw from the meat sector to focus acquisitions and investment in its core plant-based business and take advantage of a surge in demand for alternatives to meat.
Created by French oilseed and protein crop growers, Avril is the European Union's largest biodiesel maker and a leader in animal nutrition, cooking oil and plant-based chemical products. The group had sales of €5.8 million ($6.8 million) in 2020.
Bigard is Europe's third largest meat processor with a turnover of €4.5 billion, according to its website.
Abera had sales of €256 million last year. Its two main activities are pig slaughtering and pork butchery. Porcgros is a pork wholesaler specialised in meat cutting and processing, based in the Rungis food market near Paris.
The sale of Abera and Porcgros is subject to consultation by employee representatives from the two companies and competition authorities' approval, Avril said.
($1 = €0.8537).
