The acquisition had already received clearance from regulators in Austria, Macedonia, Serbia and Romania. The deal will now be finalised at a meeting of Perutnina Ptuj shareholders in the next few days.
Perutnina Ptuj is a well-established international food-processing company and the largest producer of poultry meat and poultry meat products in south-east Europe.
When the deal was first announced in September 2018, an MHP spokesperson said: “MHP is undertaking a strategic step with this expansion, which will add value to the company and strengthen its position as a global player, while Perutnina Ptuj is obtaining a strategic long-term investor. Perutnina Ptuj has a strong brand and significant share of poultry value-added products, which MHP is ready to support over the coming years through investment and further development.
“Together with a highly experienced management team, MHP commits itself to improve the quality of the Perutnina Ptuj’s production base to meet the highest EU standards. This cooperation will bring direct benefits to local farmers and employees as well as have a positive impact on the poultry industry in the Balkans region in general.”
MHP exported 286,846 tonnes of chicken meat in 2018 to markets outside Ukraine, including Europe and the Middle East.
The company was established in Ukraine in 1998, currently has nearly 30,000 employees and is built on a model of vertical integration, ensuring it controls every part of the production process, from farm to fork. It currently has two processing plants in Slovakia and the Netherlands.