However, the competition authority has placed several conditions on the deal before it can go ahead.

The authority said that the merger will significantly increase the power of LDC in the French market and it is concerned about maintaining the choice of the leading brands – Loué for LDC and in particular Saint-Sever that is produced by Arrivé by the organisation, Fermiers Landais.

The competition authority is also concerned about the strength that the joint company will have in the cooked and further processed poultry product market and has placed restrictions on the company for the marketing of these products.

The two companies have several poultry slaughterhouses in the Ouest, Auvergne-Bourgogne and Sud-Ouest regions, processing chickens, turkeys, ducks, guinea fowl and rabbits.