"The swine genetics of Maple Leaf Agri-Farms combined with the existing activities of TOPIGS in Canada form a perfect basis for the future developments of our business in Canada," said Martin Bijl, CEO of Pigture Group. "With the purchase we expand our market share and acquire market knowledge that make it possible to grow further."

Under the terms of the sale agreement, TOPIGS Canada acquired Maple Leaf Agri-Farms' genetics business, including the assets of Lean Team International, a marketing arm of the genetics business, along with a nucleus farm located in Manitoba, Canada. The two companies have also formalized an agreement where TOPIGS Canada will supply genetics to Maple Leaf Agri Farms hog production operations.

"TOPIGS has a strong reputation as a world leader in swine genetics and we are pleased that the company recognized the value in our genetics business and our people," said Glen Gratton, VP MLAF Genetics. "Maple Leaf Agri-Farms is looking forward to drawing on TOPIGS global expertise and to building a strong working relationship as our genetics supplier for our hog production operations in Manitoba."

TOPIGS is world leader in pig genetics and with its subsidiaries, agents and distributors active in more than 30 countries. TOPIGS stands for superior genetics, knowledge, and reproduction technology in the field of pig genetics. Turn over of TOPIGS is more than one million gilts per year and over six million doses of semen. TOPIGS is part of Pigture Group and headquartered in Vught, the Netherlands. TOPIGS employs about 500 people worldwide and had sales of €73 million in 2007. TOPIGS exports world wide from its High Health SPF Nucleus farms in Saskatchwan, Canada.

Maple Leaf Agri-Farms is an independent operating company of Maple Leaf Foods Inc., a leading food processing company, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Maple Leaf Foods employs approximately 23,500 people at its operations across Canada and in the United States, the United Kingdom and Asia. The Company had sales of $5.2 billion in 2007.