Newspaper report in De Standaard suggests proposal is being considered by Greenyard’s independent directors
Belgian multinational Greenyard has denied any suggestion that it plans to merge with The Fruit Farm Group, the producer-exporter created by the shareholders of its predecessor Univeg at the end of 2014.
“Greenyard took note of an article published today in Belgian newspaper De Standaard, stating that the company is looking to integrate The Fruit Farm Group into the Group structure,” it said in a press release. “With this release the Group states that there is nothing to report on any possible merger or acquisition.”
Greenyard co-CEO and majority shareholder Hein Deprez is also a major owner of Fruit Farm Group, whose subsidiaries produce fruit in four different countries.
These companies include grape exporter Expofrut Brasil, Turkish stonefruit and fig supplier Alara, citrus and blueberry exporter Forbel in Uruguay, and The Fruit Farm Group South Africa.
Seven years ago, The Fruit Farm Group acquired AC Hartman, the Netherlands’ largest organic vegetable producer and a leading supplier of glasshouse-grown produce to customers including Albert Heijn and Bakker Barendrecht.
