According to the proposed merger announced on 12 February, French vegetable co-operative Val Nantais is set to become the vegetable division of large agricultural co-operative Terrena, based in Ancenis in the west-coast department of Loire-Atlantique.
Should the merger gain the approval of the boards of the two structures, as well as the go-ahead of the competition authority, then it will become operational by the end of the first term of 2014, a press release stated.
Val Nantais, which boasts a turnover of €55m and has 45 members and 250 employees, markets 20,000 tonnes of vegetables, including lamb's lettuce, leeks, radishes, lettuces, cucumbers, tomatoes and traditional vegetables, a quarter of which is exported to northern Europe.
Since 2008, Val Nantais has been working in partnership with the Bonduelle Group, the global leader in fresh-cut vegetables with a turnover of €1.9bn and 57 processing and production sites in 12 countries.
Bonduelle relies on Val Nantais for the salad production of its members, as well as on the fresh-cut processing unit, Val Nantais Conditionnement.
The deal with Terrena is reportedly set to strengthen synergies and open up new opportunities for development, especially in northwest France.
Terrena has 22,000 members and 11,848 employees, achieving a turnover in 2011 of €4.4bn and marketing its products under various brands, including Paysan Breton, Douce France, Gastronome, Tendre et Plus and Festival.
Together with Val Nantais, the co-operative intends to develop its ecologically friendly 'Nouvelle Agriculture' range of products, which also places a particular emphasisis on the nutritional benefits of the produce.
Should the deal go through, Val Nantais would apparently retain its identity and headquarters in Saint-Julien-de-Concelles, with its president Patrick Briand joining the Terrena board and presiding over Terrena's vegetable commission, while director Didier Baley would join the upstream management committee and steer the vegetable business.
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