TOPIGS & Norsvin merge into TopigsNorsvin

Jun 05, 2014

Topigs News

TOPIGS International and Norsvin International AS have merged their international activities into a new company with the name Topigs Norsvin. The merger of these two companies has resulted in a world-leading swine breeding company with annual revenues exceeding US$ 179 million/€ 130 million. The head office will be in Vught, the Netherlands. TOPIGS Nederland, Varkens K.I. Nederland and Norsvin SA are not part of the merger.

TOPIGS and Norsvin are farmer owned, with an identical philosophy of paying dividends through genetic progress from applied research and development (R&D). Farmer owned meat processors and a feed supplier are minority shareholders.

TOPIGS and Norsvin are aligning their R&D activities for more and smarter investments to accelerate genetic progress and develop new products. TOPIGS and Norsvin have cooperated successfully on selected R&D projects for many years and are now fully aligning all R&D activities. The combined R&D budget is about US$ 25 million/€ 18 million, equaling 14% of the revenues. The combination of high-throughput phenotyping, large-scale computer tomography of boars, global nucleus breeding, massive gathering of production data and genomic selection will accelerate genetic progress and add value to the entire production chain.

Topigs Norsvin has a complementary product portfolio with increased value to customers. The current products of both merging companies will remain available. ‘Results from new, combined products are so promising that we can see that these will have a global benefit. Topigs Norsvin’s strategy involves excellent support through local presence based on individual customer needs. Together we have the people, products and knowledge to offer this better than anyone else’, says Bjarne Holm, Chief Development Officer of Topigs Norsvin.

‘TOPIGS and Norsvin is a perfect match’, states CEO Martin Bijl of Topigs Norsvin. ‘We are both R&D driven and have complimentary portfolios. TOPIGS brings robust, easy to manage lines providing the best total feed efficiency. Norsvin brings extremely productive, lean and efficient lines. Also the market position is complementary with TOPIGS’ global presence and Norsvin's solid presence in Scandinavia, the US and the Baltic region.’

With a production of more than 1.55 million crossbred gilts and over 8 million doses of semen per year, Topigs Norsvin (www.topigsnorsvin.com) is one of the biggest swine

genetics suppliers in the world. Each year more than 90 million slaughter pigs are produced with Topigs Norsvin genetics.
Both TOPIGS and Norsvin are renowned for their innovative approach to implementing new technologies and a continuous focus on cost-efficient pig production. Research, innovation and dissemination of genetic improvement will be the cornerstones of the new company. Continuous and strong product improvement will enable clients to achieve significant added value in their production.

Source: TOPIGS

Video: You Be The Judge: Evaluating 8 Breeding Rams!

It's time for some honest feedback here at Ewetopia Farms! Today, we’re showing you all eight rams we used for breeding this year. Instead of just presenting them, we thought it would be fun to create a “Ram Report Card” — where we point out both their strengths and areas for improvement.

But here’s the twist: you be the judge! In the comments, let us know what you like about each ram and what you think could be improved. No ram is ever perfect, but every one of them brings something valuable to the flock. By sharing perspectives, we all learn more about what to look for in good breeding stock.

At Ewetopia Farms, we raise registered Suffolk and Polled Dorset sheep, focusing on high-quality genetics, structure, and friendly temperaments. Evaluating breeding rams is part of the bigger picture of building stronger flocks — and we’re excited to share the process with you.

If you enjoy seeing how we evaluate our animals, follow along by subscribing to our channel. We share daily insights into the joys and challenges of sheep farming here in Canada.