Dutch feed company ForFarmers has announced its intention to acquire Countrywide's feed and forage business. Countrywide is a leading supplier of feed products and services to the rural community in the UK through its Country Stores and direct to farm.

Once the deal has gone through, ForFarmers will acquire the compound feed, blends, co-products, straights (but excluding grain trading) and forage (fertiliser, grass and maize seed and silage additives) businesses from Countrywide. The transaction also includes a long term agreement for the supply of feed and forage products Countrywide sells in its Country Stores.

Countrywide currently has an annual turnover of €158 million. The buyout is still subject to clearance by the UK Competition Authorities.

Iain Gardner of ForFarmers UK commented, "ForFarmers has had a longstanding and successful relationship with Countrywide since 2005. Countrywide is an excellent example of a livestock feed company that has a tradition of combining the sale of general and specialist feed products with expert feed advice towards its clients. We especially welcome the skills and experiences in these areas of the nearly 60 employees that upon completion of the transaction will join ForFarmers in the UK.

"We have set ourselves very ambitious targets to grow ForFarmers business in the UK. This year we have seen the benefits of HST Feeds and Wheyfeed joining the company. The acquisition of Countrywide’s feed and forage business will enable us to extend 'The Total Feed Business' approach to an even wider customer base in our chosen markets."     

Yoram Knoop, Chief Executive Officer ForFarmers, added, "Customer demands both in the UK and across Europe are changing as scale and complexity increases in the food and farming industry. Farmers increasingly require customised solutions that add value to their business. ForFarmers has reacted to this by developing 'The Total Feed Business' approach by supplying livestock nutrition in whatever form our customers require it.

"On ruminant farms this includes grassland and silage management and the acquisition of Countrywide’s forage business will ensure that ForFarmers has a significant presence in this market. This acquisition is entirely consistent with the on-going development of our portfolio of products and services which forms one of the pillars of ForFarmers strategy. We expect that the acquisition will have a positive influence on earnings per share in 2016"