Denmark - PIC Signs Contract With Danish Consortium

PIC, the world leader in the application of quantitative genetics and biotechnology to pig breeding, has signed a user group contract with The Åbne Ornestation, a consortium of Danish investors and dedicated PIC customers in Denmark. The Åbne Ornestation has taken over the management of former PIC AI studs in Bendixhøj and Bonderup and will offer PIC genetics as a competitive alternative for the Danish market, specifically focussing on the growing export market of weaner and slaughter pigs from Denmark to Germany and Central Europe. Denmark's total live pig exports are expected to reach 4.4 million this year. PIC will supply breeding animals and technical know-how in the area of quantitative genetics and biotechnology. Boars of different genetic lines for The Åbne Ornestation will be selected according to Danish pig producers' customized Estimated Breeding Value indexes. "The use of Pietrain boars for German export contracts may give you an additional seven euro per pig," said Per Rosenkrantz Fuglsang, chairman of the board of The Åbne Ornestation and active weaner producer with more than a 1000 sows. "The contract with PIC gives us access to a variety of customized sow and boar lines which can compete in the Danish market and are essential for specific export markets, such as Germany. This enables us to create extra value for our Danish customers." "We are very excited to announce this strategic partnership. The contract with The Åbne Ornestation will bring both medium to long term benefits for PIC in Denmark," said Bernard Verret, PIC Europe's general manager. "We expect to see an increase in sales volume and market share, because the best way to sell the value of genetics is through customers who are actually using it and experiencing the added value themselves" he said.