PIETERMARITZBURG, South Africa, December 14, 2012/PRNewswire via African Press Organization (APO)/ — Cargill’s animal nutrition business announced today an investment of approximately U.S. $20 million in South Africa. Cargill has gained a majority shareholding and assumed managerial control of NuTec Southern Africa, its existing joint venture with Astral Foods, an integrated Southern African poultry producer. As part of this investment, Cargill plans to build a new premix and base mix facility at NuTec’s existing location in Pietermaritzburg, which will expand Cargill’s animal nutrition capabilities in sub-Saharan Africa.
Cargill now owns 75 percent of the shares in NuTec, a manufacturer of vitamin and mineral premix for the animal nutrition industry. Astral Foods retains a 25 percent shareholding in the business and remains an important partner and customer to Cargill. NuTec will migrate its name and product portfolio to Cargill’s Provimi brand.
“We are delighted to announce this investment, which will allow Cargill Animal Nutrition to better serve our customers in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Gudo klein Gebbink, general manager for Cargill’s Premix and Nutrition Sub-Saharan Africa business. “We see great potential and opportunities to expand our business. The rapidly growing markets and increasing animal productivity in this strategic area are an excellent fit for Cargill’s animal nutrition business’s market approach. Supported by our worldwide research and development capabilities, the combination of high quality nutritional products and world-class technical support will enable our customers to further optimize their results and effectively produce safe food.”
Gary Arnold, Astral’s business development director added: “The decision to sell a portion of Astral’s interest in this business was taken to allow Cargill’s animal nutrition business to invest in the redevelopment of the NuTec facility, and simultaneously expand premix sales into African markets. As a result, Astral’s remaining 25 percent interest will be in a larger speciality premix business.”
This latest investment was welcomed by Johan Steyn, managing director of Cargill in South Africa: “This investment reinforces Cargill’s commitment to support farmers and grow our businesses in sub-Saharan Africa. South Africa is the perfect platform from which to increase our support of the agricultural sector in the region. Furthermore, it confirms Cargill’s ongoing relationship with Astral Foods as an important business partner.”
Notes for editors:
About Cargill
Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 142,000 people in 65 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. For more information, visit Cargill.com [http://www.cargill.com ] and its news center [http://www.cargill.com/news/index.jsp ].
About Provimi
Provimi is part of Cargill’s animal nutrition business and is one of the leaders in the international animal feed industry. We deliver innovative, practical and result oriented animal feeds and feeding programmes to modern producers. Provimi develops and produces premixes, concentrates and speciality feeds, such as milk replacers, piglet feeds and special additives.
About Cargill in South Africa
Cargill has been active in South Africa since 1995. The company has activities in grain and oilseed trading, cotton trading, coal trading, sugar distribution, financial services and risk management, and specialty food ingredients. For more information, visit http://www.cargill.co.za.
About Astral
Astral Foods Limited (Astral), is a leading Southern African integrated poultry producer. Key activities comprise manufacturing of animal feeds, broiler genetics, production and sale of day-old chicks and hatching eggs, integrated breeder and broiler production, abattoir and further processing operations, sales and distribution of various key poultry consumer brands.
For more information, visit http://www.astralfoods.com.
CONTACT:
Gonny Oudijk (Provimi): +31-(0)-10-423-95-66
gonny_oudijk@cargill.com
Corinne Holtshausen: +44-1932-861204
corinne_holtshausen@cargill.com
Gary Arnold (Astral): +27-(0)12-667-5468
gary.arnold@astralfoods.com
Marlize Keyter (Keyter Rech Investor Solutions): +27-(0)11-447-5204
mkeyter@kris.co.za
http://www.cargill.com/news
Source: Cargill
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