Sheffield’s Benchmark Holdings acquires Colombian shrimp breeding programme in £1.67m deal

Benchmark Holdings PLC, the Sheffield-based aquaculture breeding, animal health, technical publishing and sustainability science group, has acquired a Colombian shrimp breeding programme.

The group has entered into a technology transfer agreement under which its wholly-owned subsidiary, Genética Spring S.A.S, will secure control over aquaculture breeding programmes previously owned and operated by Centro de Investigación de la Acuicultura de Colombia Ceniacua.

Benchmark will also purchase related business, freehold land, buildings and assets, for a total consideration of £1.67m. Completion of the acquisition is expected to be finalized before the end of August.

The acquisition adds a third species, shrimp, to Benchmark’s aquaculture breeding business in salmon and tilapia.

The acquired business, headquartered in Punta Canoa, near Cartagena in Colombia, operates breeding programmes for the species (L. vannamei) in the global shrimp sector, as well as for the marine finfish species cobia and grouper.

Malcolm Pye, Chief Executive of Benchmark, said: “This important acquisition strengthens our unique package of products and services that are urgently needed in the aquaculture industry today.

“It adds the third major aquaculture species shrimp to our already strong aquaculture breeding business in Salmon and Tilapia, and increases our market penetration into the fast-growing shrimp industry.

“There is strong and growing customer demand globally for disease resilient shrimp, which are more robust and deliver better yields.

“This acquisition provides us with very high calibre broodstock to meet that need, offering a substantial commercial opportunity for the Company and enhancing our growing reputation in aquaculture breeding and genetics.”