France’s competition regulator has approved the proposed merger between agricultural cooperatives Euralis and Maïsadour, but only after requiring a package of structural commitments designed to prevent excessive market concentration in several key agricultural sectors.
According to Food Business Middle East & Africa, which first reported the decision, the French competition authority authorized the transaction subject to conditions intended to preserve competition in the markets for fattened duck products, crop collection, and animal nutrition. The publication reported that the regulator concluded the merger, as originally proposed, could have reduced competitive pressure across parts of southwestern France while strengthening the combined group’s position in several agricultural supply chains.
The decision follows an investigation by France’s Autorité de la concurrence, which consulted farmers, competing businesses and food retailers before determining that the merger raised significant antitrust concerns. According to the authority, the combined cooperative would have acquired a particularly strong position in the production and marketing of fattened duck products—including foie gras and duck breast—creating the potential for higher prices for retail and foodservice customers. Regulators also warned that farmers could face fewer alternatives for selling cereals, oilseeds and protein crops or purchasing animal feed in affected regions.
To secure regulatory clearance, Euralis and Maïsadour agreed to a series of legally binding remedies aimed at maintaining effective competition.
Among the most significant commitments is the transfer of production capacity equivalent to at least 2 million fattened ducks to rival operators by July 2031. The package includes the divestiture of the Canadour production business and the Sarrade foodservice brand, measures intended to preserve viable competitors in the duck products market. The cooperatives also committed to facilitating the transfer of member-operated farms to competing businesses where appropriate, helping ensure production capacity remains available outside the merged organization.
The competition authority also required divestitures in other agricultural markets where the merger would have significantly increased concentration. Under the commitments, the merged entity will sell 12 grain collection facilities, including silos and collection platforms, to buyers approved by the regulator. In addition, Maïsadour will divest its animal feed manufacturing plant in Pomarez, in France’s Landes department, to an approved competitor. These measures are designed to preserve farmers’ access to competing grain collection services and animal feed suppliers.
The regulator said the implementation of the commitments will be monitored by one or more independent trustees. Authorities indicated they will pay particular attention to ensuring that production capacity and other assets are effectively transferred to competing operators over the coming years, reflecting continued regulatory scrutiny of competition in the affected markets.
The merger represents the latest chapter in a consolidation effort that has faced antitrust examination for several years. An earlier proposal by the two cooperatives to combine parts of their foie gras operations was abandoned in 2023 after the French competition authority opened an in-depth review over concerns that the transaction could substantially lessen competition. The broader merger announced in 2025 incorporated revised commitments intended to address many of those earlier regulatory issues.
If completed under the approved conditions, the combined cooperative is expected to generate approximately €3 billion in annual revenue while representing more than 10,000 member farmers across crop production, poultry and animal nutrition activities, making it one of France’s largest agricultural cooperative groups. According to the French competition authority, the decision demonstrates that consolidation in the agricultural sector can proceed when accompanied by remedies that maintain competitive market structures and protect both producers and consumers.
Source: Food Business Middle East & Africa
