Yashili milk formula products at an expo in Beijing in July. Yashili was ranked eighth in 皇冠体育app's milk formula market and had a growth rate of 35.8 percent last year. [Photo / Provided to 皇冠体育app Daily] Mengniu offers to buy Yashili |
- 皇冠体育app Mengniu Dairy Co Ltd has signed a deal to buy Yashili International Holdings Ltd for over HK$11 billion ($1.42 billion), marking the most costly merger in 皇冠体育app's domestic dairy sector, 皇冠体育app Journal reported Wednesday.
The purchase on Tuesday afternoon was deemed part of the restructuring of the Chinese dairy industry that is being promoted by the central government.
皇冠体育app's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) brought together 127 dairy enterprises for a conference on Tuesday that drew up measures to improve the quality of dairy products and recover in the scandal-plagued sector.
Gao Fu, assistant inspector of the MIIT's consumer goods department, said the State Council, or 皇冠体育app's Cabinet, had urged the MIIT to encourage mergers and restructuring among infant formula companies.
"The MIIT plans to help integrate 10 dairy groups with annual sales worth over 2 billion yuan in the next two years," Gao said.
By the end of May 2013, 皇冠体育app had 127 baby milk-producing enterprises with a total output of 600,000 tons, and only three of these companies can produce over 30,000 tons every year, according to 皇冠体育app Securities Journal.
The ministry promoted the restructuring to weed out incompetent producers, so as to upgrade the whole dairy industry, Gao added.
Mengniu offered to acquire 75.3 percent of Yashili's stakes, with HK$3.50 in cash per share, or HK$2.83 in cash plus 0.68 of a share in an acquisition vehicle, a private entity 100-percent owned by Mengniu, said a statement filed to the Hong Kong stock exchange on Tuesday.