France's livestock industry announces its participation to the first edition of VIV MEA

• February 15 to 17 2016 – ADNEC Exhibition Center - ABU DHABI
• VIV Middle East Africa 2016 – the specialist Feed to Food show

United Arab Emirates, January 13, 2016 – Business France, the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy will gather in an innovative French pavilion the entire livestock sector, from feed through to meat for the first edition of VIV MEA (Adnec - Hall 6).

The Middle East offers the prospect of fruitful dialog for the livestock industry, and particularly for poultry farming. This first edition of VIV MEA, expected to be strong, to be held from February 15 to 17 2016 in Abu Dhabi, will host almost 20 French companies specializing in animal feed/nutrition and livestock equipment.

The VIV Middle East Africa exhibition provides France with an opportunity for all companies exhibiting in the French pavilion to showcase their innovations in the following areas:
• Animal feed, nutrition and health,
• Specialist equipment for poultry and cattle rearing: handling and slaughtering equipment, feed preparation and distribution,
• Products and services for animal reproduction and poultry genetics.

The event brings together the whole of the poultry and cattle industries from upstream (genetics, insemination, nutrition and health) to downstream (slaughtering and meat processing), not forgetting breeding equipment and materials. Being one of the fastest-growing economies in the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates have a stated goal of attaining food self-sufficiency. Governments have decided to invest massively in equipment and the development of new technologies with the aim of focusing on local production, particularly in the agri-food, agriculture and livestock sectors. This policy is combined and backed by a strong consumer demand for local quality products.

Livestock now represents a significant part of agriculture, though as yet insufficient to meet the needs: breeding of dairy cattle, sheep, goats, camels and chickens is integrated alongside imports of all inputs – genetics, feeds and nutrition, veterinary medicine, equipment, etc.

Thanks to the genetic quality of its livestock and the strength of its livestock industry, France is a major breeder and a leader in the European Union for its productivity, value-added products and the global distribution of its exceptionally diverse range of breeds. France is also one of the world’s leading producers of milk and meat thanks to the vitality of its livestock which contribute to name France as an international excellence and reference in this industry.

France is Europe’s leading producer of poultry, producing a combined total of just over 1.8 million tonnes in 2014 (13.5% of total production in the European Union).

Broiler breeding is an important source of revenue for the French economy, accounting almost 60,000 employees including:
• Hatcheries: 120 companies, 1,200 breeders of breeding stock and 6,500 jobs,
• Breeders: 14,000 breeders including 4,000 labels, 27,900 breeding premises,
• Feed manufacturers: 340 production facilities producing 7 million tonnes of poultry feed (33% of total livestock feed production), including 3.8 tonnes of cereal, and 4,000 jobs,
• Industrial slaughterhouses, cutters and preparers: 170 companies, 415 slaughtering facilities,

As the world’s number six exporter, France still plays a dominant role in the international stage.

Come and meet us on the French pavilion located Hall 6 at VIV MEA, ADNEC, from February 15 to 17 2016.