Greenyard and Gelagri Bretagne announced on March 27 that they have entered into exclusive negotiations to create a sustainable partnership, with Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium-headquartered Greenyard as the majority shareholder. A letter of intent was signed by both parties and the new entity could become a reality by the end of 2025, subject to the approval of the relevant authorities, and the satisfaction of customary conditions.
By joining forces Loudeac, France-based Gelagri Bretagne, a subsidiary of the Eureden cooperative agri-food group, and Greenyard Frozen France will be able to combine their frozen vegetable production and commercial activities, allowing them to further boost vegetable production, processing and sales in Brittany and beyond. Within this new partnership, both company’s sites will further contribute to the supply of frozen vegetables of French origin.
This strategic alliance between two strong Breton players in the frozen vegetable sector aligns with the companies’ visions to connect the entire food chain through close collaborations. The strong base of growers supplying Gelagri will facilitate delivery of high quality products to consumers by leveraging Greenyard’s access to the largest retailers in Europe and beyond.
Furthermore, by consolidating the production and processing of vegetables in the Brittany region, the partnership will directly contribute to accelerated growth and increased efficiency, pointed out the companies in a joint statement, which added: “Considering the growing European frozen vegetable market, this represents a promising opportunity for Breton agriculture and its growers, both locally with regards to food sovereignty in France and globally, through an international footprint at the service of consumers worldwide.”
Alain Perrin, managing director of the Eureden Group, commented: “In a frozen vegetable market of European dimension, this project offers real prospects for the consolidation and development of our vegetable business and reaffirms its strategic importance in Brittany. Through this partnership, in which we would be very closely involved, we would mutually strengthen our activities in the heart of the open-field vegetable production areas of our cooperative’s members.”
Greenyard CEO Francis Kint added: “We have longstanding historical ties with Eureden and have been solid partners for decades. This envisaged partnership will allow both of us to strengthen our position, from a strategic sourcing perspective, and from a production point of view in this fertile region of Brittany.”
