0
The Danish Agriculture & Food Council broke the competition law, when the agricultural organisation’s subsidiary SEA (today DBI A/S) for years benefited from sales of breeding animals.
The Maritime and Commercial Court just decided on this. Breeders of Denmark A/S was further adjudged a five million compensation, incl. interests, because the company from Vojens was wrongfully held outside the market.
”Of course, we are very content with being right”, says Jan Lembke-Jensen, CEO of Breeders.
“However, we didn’t expect it to take 10 years. The case was clear as a bell from the beginning and the Pig Research Centre had several settlement opportunities. Now, we have a clear decision, meaning that certain markets and products should not be reserved for specific suppliers”, he continues.
The case, which was led by solicitor Joan Vollertsen from the solicitor's office Fink, concerns administration of the so-called DanAvl system during the years 2001-2006. During this period, the agricultural organisation’s subsidiary had competition-distorting benefits, compared to other players on the market.
Since 2001, Breeders of Denmark has been very successful in exporting DanAvl breeding animals. The company offers breeding pigs, transportation and professional guidance in terms of advanced and effective pig production, and strives to become the preferred partner within sales of DanAvl genetic material.
In the summer of 2016, Breeders filed a new complaint against the Danish Agriculture & Food Council at the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority regarding the organisation’s way of operating on the breeding animal market. Chairman Erik Larsen from the Danish Agriculture & Food Council, pig production unit, was in Landbrugsavisen quoted as saying that the two cases were not connected. At Breeders of Denmark A/S, they do not agree on this interpretation at all.
"The new DanAvl P/S, including DBI A/S, is allowed to sell both cross-bred and pure-bred animals, while other private retailers - hereunder Breeders of Denmark A/S as agent - are only allowed to sell cross-bred animals. The Danish Agriculture & Food Council is in many ways turning back the clock to the way things were in 2001 - 2006 and now, the court has ruled this to be illegal”, says Jan Lembke-Jensen.
February 2, 2016 - Breeders Of Denmark
