Nealia: Our Animal Nutrition Business
An expert in animal nutrition, Nealia supports livestock farmers in the Grand Est region of France with both animal feed products (for cattle, sheep, poultry, pigs, horses, and farmyard animals) and strategic advice on how to run their farms more efficiently. So, our priority is clear: develop a custom best feed plan for each farm based on technical, economic, and health criteria, as well as animal well-being. This priority is the bedrock for our decisions, alliances and innovation policy around animal nutrition.
Nealia’s strategic priority is value creation for livestock farmers through innovation and diversification
Our core business: dry compound feed
Nealia’s expertise in formulating dry compound feed enables it to provide customised nutritional solutions. With more than 1,600 different formulas constantly updated, we can meet the needs and requirements of every livestock farmer. Nealia also runs a group called “Eleveurs d’Avenir” (Livestock farmers of the future), whose 25 members meet regularly to discuss the challenges they face and to develop the innovative solutions of the future.
Pioneers in wet compound feed
Our expertise enabled us to invent a new type of feed: wet compound feed, which is formulated and manufactured with the same stringent standards as dry compound feed. This solution makes it possible to add value to coproducts from agri-food production processes (starch, biorefinery) — such as cull potatoes, spent grain, bran, and wheat gluten — giving it economic, environmental, and nutritional benefits. We have full control over the entire value chain from supply, to logistics, production, marketing and customer support. All NEALIA’s wet feed products comply with the requirements for “GMO-free” labelling (<0.9%).
-
No.1Leader on the regional animal nutrition market
-
Over 41%of our methanisable co-products are recovered through anaerobic digestion
-
430,000Tof feed sold per year
A value chain and innovative partnerships:
From farm to fork: our regional broiler chicken value chain
With support from Nealia, which has a 45% stake in the business, Les Eleveurs de la Champagne highlights the regional origin of its poultry products.
Our regional value chain is recognised for the consistently high quality of its products, which are almost exclusively sourced from our region.
The products are sold under the "Volailles Champenoises" brand through retailers, food service, and regional wholesalers.
Anaerobic digestion: a fast-growing sector
Thanks to our long-standing know-how in animal nutrition, and in the face of growing demand from digesters, Nealia has developed a range of products and services aimed at methanisers in the Grand Est and Hauts-de-France regions.
Insect farming: a new challenge for Nealia
To diversify our markets and capitalise on our expertise, we are also strengthening our position in insect farming. For this, we are establishing partnerships with French biotechnology firms specialising in farming and processing insects. Nealia’s expertise in feed formulation combined with our partners’ research and development capacity will allow the development of feed formulas that are suited to animals’ diet.
Insects are a source of high-quality protein intended for the aquaculture and pet food markets.
Our partnership with Agronutris is for the supply of 45,000 tonnes of wet compound feed per year made from coproducts from agri-food businesses in the surrounding area. The feed is produced in Nealia’s plant in Pauvres and delivered directly to the Agronutris plant in Rethel. Production began in 2024.
A local soya value chain: an example of synergies between livestock farming and crop farming
After several years in development, the local soya value chain is now up and running with the commissioning of a soybean crushing plant in our region (Rethel, Ardennes). The first batches of soybean were processed in June 2024, and the industrial start-up was successful. By working together to build this value chain, the VIVESCIA cooperative and NEALIA are strengthening synergies between crop production and livestock sectors in the same region.
