Brazilian meat company BRF has signed an agreement to acquire USSEC customer and Turkish poultry producer Banvit to expand its international presence. Turkey is a bridge between Europe and Middle Eastern countries and BRF plans to use this advantage to produce poultry in Turkey and export to these countries due to the price advantage and Halal certification of Turkish companies.
The enterprise value of Banvit is estimated at $470 million. The transaction will be carried out through a joint venture between BRF and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the sovereign fund of Qatar. While BRF will hold a 60 percent stake in the joint venture, QIA will own 40 percent. Banvit, a fully integrated producer, has facilities ranging from feed control to final food processing. It has five feed plants, four hatcheries, and five production plants.
The first phase of the transaction involves the purchase of a 79.5 percent stake in Banvit, followed later by a tender offer for the remaining minority interest of 20.5 percent.
Banvit is a loyal USSEC customer, consuming around 150,000 tons of soybean meal and full fat soy for its poultry production. Banvit representatives have been regular participants in USSEC’s activities in the poultry nutrition, risk management, dairy nutrition, and feed formulation fields since USSEC began its activities in Turkey. This acquisition will drive the growth of Banvit as well as the poultry industry in the next couple of years in Turkey, as well as helping the Turkish poultry industry to export its production to other countries.