Rivalea Holdings Pty Ltd: JBS proposal prompts VFF to raise pig farmers’ questions

Pork producers worried about access to processing services in Victoria following a takeover are seeking assurances. This is what they’ve been told.

The Victorian Farmers Federation has sought assurances that pork producers won’t be affected by a proposed JBS purchase.

Victorian pig farmers say they have been assured access to processing services will remain under the proposed JBS Australia acquisition of Rivalea Holdings.

In June JBS announced plans to acquire 100 per cent of Rivalea Holdings Pty Ltd, along with 100 per cent of Oxdale Dairy Enterprise Pty Ltd.

Victorian Farmers Federation pig group president Tim Kingma said this week the Rivalea’s key processing facility at Diamond Valley Pork’s Laverton site provided essential processing services to Victorian pig farmers.

“The VFF will continue working for all Victorian pig farmers to ensure any potential acquisition does not impact access to the operations needed to sustain this more than $250 million dollar industry,” Mr Kingma said.

The VFF Pig Group Committee initiated talks with JBS Australia head of corporate affairs John Berry to convey the importance of maintaining access to processing services if the acquisition goes ahead.

“Mr Berry assured us they will continue to provide service kill under commercial arrangements at Diamond Valley Pork,” Mr Kingma said.

“We have been in contact with the ACCC on the proposed acquisition and ask them to seek similar assurances from JBS,” Mr Kingma said.

The combined value of both purchases of Rivalea Holdings and Oxdale Dairy totals AU$175m.

The purchase is subject to regulatory approvals.

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