Grupo Vall Companys and Sigma Alimentos reach agreement over Spanish pork assets
The two companies will share ownership of farm and slaughterhouse assets in Spain, pending competition authority approval.
SPAIN – Spanish meat processor Grupo Vall Companys has reached an agreement with Mexico’s Sigma Alimentos involving the exchange and shared ownership of several pork-related assets in Spain.
Under the arrangement, the Agroalimentaria Chico pig farm, which Grupo Vall recently acquired, will be transferred to Deporcyl, a joint venture between the two companies.
In a joint statement, both firms said the move will allow Sigma to secure higher-quality raw materials while improving traceability throughout its pork supply chain.
As part of the same agreement, Grupo Vall will take a majority stake in Sigma’s slaughterhouse and cutting plant in Burgos, with Sigma Europa maintaining a minority partnership in the business.
According to the companies, the changes are intended to enhance the operational efficiency of the Burgos site and significantly increase its production capacity.
The overall transaction still requires submission and approval by Spain’s National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) before it can proceed.
Focus on efficiency and production
The agreement will allow Grupo Vall Companys to focus more directly on livestock management and slaughter operations, while Sigma Alimentos concentrates on producing and marketing its portfolio of fresh and processed meat products.
Albert Morera, director of Grupo Vall’s pork division, said the partnership aims to combine the strengths of both businesses and improve coordination across the entire pork production chain, from farm to finished product.
Sigma Alimentos manufactures and distributes a wide range of foods, including meat, cheese, yogurt, and other chilled and frozen products, operating 64 plants across 17 countries in Europe, Mexico, the United States, and Latin America.
In Europe, the company markets its products under well-known brands such as Campofrío, Navidul, Justin Bridou, Marcassou, and Caroli, supplying goods in seven European countries and exporting to more than 60 global markets.
Earlier in June, Sigma’s European subsidiary Campofrío announced an investment of US$156.7 million (€134 million) in a new processed-meat factory in Utiel, Spain, which will replace its Torrent plant, located about 75 kilometers east near Valencia.
The Torrent site, which employed over 300 workers, was severely damaged by a hurricane in October 2023, prompting the need for relocation.
Founded in 1956, Grupo Vall Companys remains a family-owned enterprise with a growing footprint in the global meat sector.
In recent years, the company has expanded through acquisitions, taking full control of Embutidos Rodríguez in January 2023, acquiring a minority interest in Brazil’s Master Agroindustria two months later, and purchasing a major stake in Spanish poultry producer Grupo Sada in June 2022.
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