Feed Group South: 'Maintaining volume is hard work'

Boerenbusiness spoke with the director Ronald van de Ven about sustainability issues in the sector, the need for collaboration within Nevedi, volume development in 2025 and the company's vision for the future.

In Voergroep Zuid's service area, the numerous closure regulations of recent years are having a significant impact. Many livestock farmers are closing their doors, putting pressure on businesses in the periphery. But in the Voergroep Zuid boardroom in Deurne, they don't want to dwell on negativity. They are convinced of the future prospects for livestock farming, especially for the intensive sectors. There are still plenty of opportunities to increase our market share. Good performance in the barn is paramount. Sustainability is also becoming an increasingly important issue, and intensive livestock farming scores well on this front. Pork and eggs have a low carbon footprint, and this can be further reduced. Animal sectors play a key role in the circular economy. "Telling our story is also a shared responsibility of the sector."

In 2021, we already discussed gaining insight into the carbon footprint of pig feed. At the time, you saw this as an opportunity for the sector and a unique selling point for the Dutch livestock industry. What's the current state of affairs?
With our dashboard, livestock farmers can now determine the impact of feed on their pigs' footprint based on their own feed composition. This is done using data from the Nevedi raw materials list. FrieslandCampina already rewards dairy farmers based on CO₂ emissions. In pig farming, this is somewhat more complex due to the carcass valorization of the pig. If slaughterhouses can achieve a premium for certain parts, that's great. But if it increases the cost price for parts that are exported, adding value becomes difficult. That's why things may be moving a bit slower in this sector.

But you still see it as an opportunity?
Absolutely. Every sector must contribute to the global climate challenge, including livestock farming. The CO₂ footprint of animal protein produced domestically is considerably lower than in many other countries. Within domestic sales and concepts, we're noticing that this data is becoming increasingly important. It's only a matter of time before insight into CO₂ emissions becomes a requirement for even being allowed to produce in the Netherlands. Hopefully, meeting certain sustainability criteria can then yield added value. Besides the potential financial reward, it's also a key argument for substantiating our position in the supply chain and society. We convert many residual flows into a valuable product. This gives our country a head start in terms of environmental impact.

Is it clear to consumers what the livestock industry is already doing in this area?
"Unfortunately, often not. It's all about communication. In conversations with stakeholders, I often give a concrete example: the leftovers that arise from producing a container of fries. We in livestock farming turn that into a high-quality product. We must keep telling that story. It's a shared responsibility of parties in the feed world."

That's also a task that fits Nevedi's profile. What's your perspective on the unrest within Nevedi over the past year?
First of all: we desperately need each other. It's a cross-organizational task to fight together for a future for intensive livestock farming in the Netherlands. As a medium-sized company, we have the advantage of employing people who work full-time on sustainability. Small businesses don't always have that luxury. That's precisely why I believe medium-sized and large feed companies should play a leading role in this – even if it comes at a higher cost. Take the manure problem: the manure surplus belongs to all of us. We recently participated in a manure mission to France to explore sales opportunities. Not because it directly benefits us, but because it's necessary. Sector interests must come before self-interest.

So you're happy that ForFarmers and Agrifirm are back within Nevedi?
"Let me put it this way: I see Nevedi's core tasks as a shared mission. I especially hope that everyone has learned from the situation."

You've been growing for years in a shrinking market. This decline has accelerated in the past six months. How do you see volume development in 2025?
The short summary: our volumes remained stable in the first six months of 2025. That sounds simple, but there's a lot of work behind it. We're losing around 50.000 tons this year due to customers ceasing their business – 30.000 tons in the first half, and another 20.000 tons in the second half. The fact that we were able to compensate for these volumes in the first half of the year with new customers is the result of hard work and good animal performance in the barn.

So, no shrinkage. Can this be sustained in the coming years?
Things are going well, but it certainly won't happen overnight. The impact of the downturn is also felt by our field service. When loyal relationships break up, it affects people. Besides the loss of revenue, it also affects you personally. Nevertheless, we continue to work hard every day to stay positive. We simply have to outperform the competition and continue to invest in the training and quality of our people. Our factories are currently operating at full capacity. Therefore, even a slight drop in volume has little impact on the cost price. And that remains very important, now and in the future. So we are always trying to stay ahead of the downturn in the sector.

Do I get the sense from this that you prefer to remain independent?
"You shouldn't rule anything out. But a collaboration, merger, or acquisition must lower the cost price or generate genuine synergy. Only then will the farmer benefit, not just management. We've calculated scenarios: with a 20% reduction, we can still adapt our business effectively. But if the livestock population declines more sharply, that will naturally have consequences. And with the current political climate, that's not inconceivable."

To what extent is your service area still truly in the south? We also see your bulk trucks above the rivers.
"We don't actively recruit there, but livestock farmers from the north and east have asked if a representative could visit. Farmers talk among themselves. If we can help a good customer based on that, we certainly won't say no."

You sold Rivez last year. That money was to be used for investments in core activities. What does that look like?
The sale of Rivez allows us to prepare the company for the future. As mentioned, we only believe in targeted partnerships or mergers that truly fit. Thanks to this sale, we can act quickly when opportunities arise.

Finally, a personal question: do you see yourself as a director in the coming years?
"If it were up to me, I'd stay until I was 75! But I'm afraid that's not going to happen. I want to stay for at least the next four years. During that time, I hope to prepare a new generation together with the management. The sector is full of entrepreneurship and opportunities. That's the perspective for our cooperative."