SPACE Sees Rationalisation of French Industry

FRANCE - SPACE is one of the few remaining livestock shows that is still held annually. This is in part due to the fact that thousands of farmers from Brittany and Normandy continue to descend on Rennes each September, regardless of the financial state of the pig industry, writes Stuart Lumb.
calendar icon 23 September 2008
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SPACE in Rennes - exhibitors are looking to new export markets.

The organisers are now promoting the show as an international event, as exhibitors look to new export markets to compensate for declining French sales. French agriculture has always favoured the family farming system.

Labour and other costs are lower so such farms can survive when larger ones with many employees cannot.

Despite this, rationalisation is taking place and pig units are getting bigger.

French agriculture has benefited from its farming coops over the years but even these organisations are having to move with the times.

In early September it was announced that Cooperl and Arca were merging .The new coop will handle just under 7 million slaughter pigs annually, a third of French production.

Two other coops, Terrena and Pigalys are also combining part of their pork sector operations.

Change is afoot in the allied industry sector too.

Vitalac is a very well known Brittany -based specialist pig feed and supplements company.

Significantly, Vitalac has now moved into the dairy sector and is exporting products to the Middle East.

French companies have a good reputation in the A.I. sector and are creating savings by combining to sell A.I. equipment abroad under one brand label.

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