What’s Inside:
Deep Dive - CalBio Takes Operation of Eight South Dakota Dairy Gas Projects
ForFarmers UK Agrees to Buy Advanced Ruminant Nutrition
Vissan Asks Shareholders to Approve a $60 Million Tay Ninh Plant
Novus Launches RELYZANT Trace Mineral in Mexico
EU Releases €73.5 Million for Italian Poultry and Pig Farmers
Illinois Offers an Unpriced Fund for a Buyer of Tyson's Joslin Plant
California Bioenergy said on September 23 that it bought Sevana Bioenergy out of South Dakota Biogas LLC and took sole ownership of SD OpCo, operator of eight dairy gas projects. UGI Energy Services remains an MBL owner after funding more than $70 million in 2022 and about $150 million in 2023, and the new release does not mention GHI. Brightmark and Chevron already produce gas at other South Dakota dairies, so this undisclosed operating deal leaves UGI with the fuel.
ForFarmers UK Agrees to Buy Advanced Ruminant Nutrition
ForFarmers UK said on September 25 it agreed to buy Advanced Ruminant Nutrition, a Lancaster firm with 16 nutritionists that has advised UK livestock farms for 20 years. The price is undisclosed, ARN keeps its name and managing director Grant Spittal, and the deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026. ForFarmers, through Tasomix, agreed on September 16 to buy Polish feed producer STW, so this UK deal adds independent farm advice.
Vissan's board on September 22 asked shareholders to approve a VND1.56 trillion, about $60 million, slaughter and processing plant on 224,000 square meters in Tay Ninh. The plan includes a line for 240 pigs an hour and a move off the Ho Chi Minh City site by 2029, funded at least 30 percent with equity. Masan MeatLife already owns 24.94 percent of Vissan, beside state shareholder SATRA at 67.77 percent, so the vote decides whether that plant is rebuilt.
Novus Launches RELYZANT Trace Mineral in Mexico
Novus on September 23 introduced RELYZANT, a zinc, copper, and manganese organic trace mineral for animal diets, shipping in Mexico now, with other markets planned later in 2026. Novus says RELYZANT omits the methionine in MINTREX, which has more than 500 company research trials and was designed over 20 years ago. Novus claims a higher mineral concentration than MINTREX, which would leave formulators more room in the ration if the claim holds in commercial use.
EU Releases €73.5 Million for Italian Poultry and Pig Farmers
The European Commission on September 25 won member-state approval to pay Italy €73.5 million from the CAP reserve, €61 million for poultry and eggs and €12.5 million for pig farms. Poultry aid covers avian flu losses from September 2022 through March 2025, and pig aid covers African swine fever losses from November 2024 through April 2025. Italy must finish payments by May 31, 2027, atop €114 million it already allocated to avian flu and more than €100 million to swine fever.
Illinois Offers an Unpriced Fund for a Buyer of Tyson's Joslin Plant
Illinois said September 22 it will make the Invest in Illinois Fund available for a buyer of Tyson's Joslin beef plant, with no buyer and no sum named. The state agriculture director said the August closure cut nearly 2,500 jobs and left two cattle buyers in Illinois where eight had been. Tyson is also trying to sell its Pasco, Washington beef plant this year, so a Joslin buyer would be bidding into the same cattle-shortage retreat.