AB Foods acquires dairy tech firm to boost agri-food unit

Associated British Foods, the owner of Primark and major sugar, foods and ingredients businesses, said it would buy dairy technology company National Milk Records for £48 million to boost its agri-food unit.

While it is best known for the value fashion retailer Primark which makes up almost half of its 17 billion pounds of revenue, AB Foods is also one of the largest UK food producers and operates one of the country's biggest animal feed businesses. Its grocery brands Twinings, Ovaltine, Patak’s, Kingsmill, Jordans, Tip Top, Yumi’s and Mazola.

AB Foods said on Tuesday that NMR's expertise in the dairy industry would help grow its agriculture business, adding data and technology platforms which help farmers become more profitable, initially in Britain.

"NMR is a high-quality business which is extremely complementary and additive to our dairy strategy and offering to the dairy industry," said Jose Nobre, head of AB Foods' AB Agri unit.

NMR's board has recommended ABF's 215 pence per share cash offer and AB Foods said in its statement that it had already received backing for the deal from investors holding about 69 per cent of shares, close to the 75 per cent threshold needed to approve the deal.

The deal is expected to be completed during the third quarter.