What Vestjyllands Andel does

Vestjyllands Andel A.m.b.a is a Danish agricultural supply cooperative (andelsgrovvareselskab) headquartered in Herning and ranked as Denmark's third-largest grovvareselskab, serving approximately 4,000 member-owner farmers with an integrated portfolio of compound feed (pigs, cattle, horses, poultry), crop inputs (seeds, fertilizers, plant protection), grain procurement and trading, organic and non-GM feed solutions, and energy/biogas services. The cooperative operates 30 branches and departments across Denmark, supplemented by the AgroLand retail chain targeting hobby and pet animal segments. Notable technology assets include the patented VA SizeMatters particle-screening machine, a proprietary VSF365 ERP system, Denmark's first on-farm grass protein biorefinery (Ausumgaard/TailorGrass), and the world's first starfish protein factory (Danish Marine Protein at GreenLab Skive), positioning the company at the intersection of conventional feed supply and the agricultural green transition.

The company's revenue model combines product sales (compound feed, protein meals, minerals, feed additives, seeds, fertilizers, crop protection), commodity trading margins (grain, feed grain, agricultural commodities), professional services (green/biogas consulting via Danish Bio Commodities, ESG and sustainability advisory), and a cooperative membership subscription that returns profits to member-owners (over 600 million DKK distributed since 2002, with annual distributions of 30-51 million DKK in recent years). GTM is sales-led through dedicated product consultants across pig, cattle, plant, energy, organic, and horse segments, supported by a digital self-service layer (VA-app, customer portal). Recent strategic moves include the pending acquisition of Hornsyld Købmandsgaard (~16 additional branches), full ownership of subsidiaries Adival (food-waste-to-feed circular economy) and DanVit (dairy/feed advisory), a 70% stake in BJ-Agro (2024), and a planned 4 billion DKK capital expansion of DBC Invest into Danish biogas. Financial scale is anchored at 3.7 billion DKK annual turnover with pre-tax profits historically in the 87-92 million DKK range and equity exceeding 1 billion DKK (solidity ~54%).

Name

Vestjyllands Andel

Legal name

Vestjyllands Andel A.m.b.a

Website

https://vja.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Vestjyllands Andel is Denmark's third-largest agricultural cooperative, serving ~4,000 farmer members with compound feed, grain trading, crop inputs, organic feed, horse feed, and biogas services across 30 branches nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Cooperative / Animal Feed Supply

NAICS

Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42491), Food Manufacturing (311), Farm Product Warehousing and Storage (493130)

SIC

Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150), Grain Mill Products (2040), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Livestock Complete Feed Milling & Blending (Cattle/Swine/Poultry) (AFADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Starches, Flours & Milling Products Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAH), Manufacturing, Private Label & Co-Manufacturing for Animal Diets (HLAMAHAO), Bagged Retail Commodity Feeds (Small Pack Formats) (AFADAIAJ)

Keywords

• Compound feed manufacturing
• Agricultural cooperative
• Grain trading
• Animal nutrition
• Biogas production

Headquarters

HQ city

Ringkøbing

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Feed and compound feed sales: Core revenue stream from manufacturing and selling compound feed, protein meals, minerals, and feed additives for livestock (pigs, cattle, horses, poultry). Products are sold to both member-owners and external customers. The company operates feed factories producing conventional, organic, and non-GM feed.
2. Grain and crop trading: Procurement and trading of grain, feed grain, and agricultural commodities. The company purchases crops from farmers and trades them, providing price risk management through contracts. Includes seeds, fertilizers, and crop protection products.
3. Agricultural retail (AgroLand): Retail operations through AgroLand chain of stores selling feed and supplies for hobby and pet animals. Includes both physical storefronts and web shop.
4. Biogas certificates (Danish Bio Commodities): Through Danish Bio Commodities, the company advises Danish farm biogas plants and manages the sale of green biogas certificates. Revenue from consulting services and certificate trading margins.
5. Green consulting and sustainability services: Advisory services related to sustainability, environmental compliance, and green transition for member farmers. Includes ESG reporting and environmental management system (ISO 14001).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Vestjyllands Andel is Denmark's third-largest agricultural cooperative (andelsselskab) that manufactures compound feed for pigs, cattle, and horses; procures and trades grain and crop inputs; and operates sustainable protein production facilities including a grass biorefinery and the world's first starfish protein factory. The company also provides agricultural advisory services, biogas consulting through Danish Bio Commodities, and operates the AgroLand retail chain for hobby farmers and pet owners. Owned by approximately 4,000 Danish farmer members, the company distributes products through 30+ branches and digital self-service channels across Denmark.

Product overview

Vestjyllands Andel is Denmark's third-largest agricultural cooperative providing a comprehensive portfolio of feed solutions and agricultural products. The core offering includes pig feed (Grisefoder), cattle feed (Kvægfoder), crop production inputs (Planteavl), organic products (Økologi), and energy/biogas solutions. The horse feed portfolio includes HorseLux (premium muesli series), Vestjyllands Hestefoder (quality pellets), and Duvil. The company operates the Danish Marine Protein factory (Søstjernefabrik) producing protein from marine sources. Digital products include the VA-app for mobile ordering, the Kundeportal customer portal, VSF365 ERP system, and Grainit inventory management. Subsidiaries include Danish Bio Commodities/DBC Invest (biogas advisory and investment), Adival (feed additives from food industry residuals), DanVit (feed and milking advisory), and BJ-Agro (advisory services). The company also holds ownership stakes in over 10 associated companies across the agricultural sector. Products are distributed through approximately 30 branches and AgroLand retail stores throughout Denmark.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HorseLux: Danish-produced quality horse feed brand, primarily a muesli series developed according to NRC standards
• Duvil
• Vestjyllands Hestefoder
• AgroLand
• VSF365
• VA SizeMatters
• Danish Marine Protein
• TailorGrass

Products and services

• Compound Pig Feed (Grisefoder)

Quantifiable outcome

• 0.1 FE per pig reduction in feed consumption can pay for VA SizeMatters within one year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hornsyld KøbmandsgaardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Pending acquisition where Hornsyld Købmandsgaard will become part of Vestjyllands Andel. The deal covers Hornsyld Købmandsgaard (grovvareselskab), H.K. Olie, Triple A, and HK Skadedyrsservice. Excludes HK Dangro Nordic and HK Totalbyg (remain under HK Hornsyld family ownership). The acquisition consolidates Hornsyld's feed factories, seed production, and Triple A specialty feed ingredient facility under Vestjyllands Andel, creating one of Denmark's largest agricultural suppliers.
• Danish CrowncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Data partnership between Vestjyllands Andel and Danish Crown enabling real-time feed consumption data sharing. Danish Crown owner-members who purchase pig feed from Vestjyllands Andel can monitor feed efficiency against slaughter data in real-time. The partnership enables production optimization at farm level, improved feed formulation, and reduced climate footprint. This is described as a potential 'gamechanger' for farmers.
• GreenLab SkivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Host location for Vestjyllands Andel's starfish protein factory (Danish Marine Protein) at the GreenLab industrial park in Kåstrup. GreenLab is designed for companies seeking sustainable production solutions. The factory utilizes surplus energy from other companies in the park and is part of an energy symbiosis. GreenLab also connects with the Skovgaard Energy PtX facility for CO2 utilization.
• AU Foulum / Aarhus UniversitetminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaboration with Aarhus University (AU Foulum) on grass protein development and the WI-FI research project for winter feeding of organic sows. AU Foulum houses the Organic Livestock Platform where research trials are conducted.
• Skovgaard EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Host of PtX facility in Ramme near GreenLab Skive. Uses surplus wind and solar energy to convert biogenic CO2 into green ammonia for fuel. Connected to Vestjyllands Andel's protein facility through shared infrastructure and energy symbiosis. Both companies showcase innovative green solutions to visiting ministers and stakeholders.
• AusumgaardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership with Ausumgaard estate for Denmark's first on-farm biorefinery for grass protein (TailorGrass project, 2020). Ausumgaard provides the site and existing biogas infrastructure. Vestjyllands Andel processes the refined grass into feed products. GUDP provided 14 million DKK in funding. The project aims to replace imported soy with locally produced grass protein.
• R&D Engineering & AutomationcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020Technical development partner and project manager for the TailorGrass project. Responsible for the technical development work and project management of the grass protein biorefinery at Ausumgaard. Described the project as potentially 'the new wind turbine adventure' for Danish agriculture.
• GUDP (Miljø- og Fødevareministeriet)coreOthers · 1 January 2020GUDP (Grønt Udviklings- og DemonstrationsProgram) under the Ministry of Food and Environment provided 14 million DKK in funding for the TailorGrass/grass protein project. Also provided 6 million DKK for the WI-FI (winter feeding of organic sows) project and 4 million DKK for a catch crop/biogas project. GUDP support is a key funding mechanism for Vestjyllands Andel's green innovation projects.
• Danish Bio Commodities (DBC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Joint venture established in 2019 between Vestjyllands Andel, Jysk Energi, and Langfristet Erhvervsfinansiering. Provides advisory services to Danish farm biogas plants and manages the sale of green biogas certificates. DBC also established DBC Invest for investing in biogas plants, targeting 30-49% ownership stakes. DBC Invest has invested in multiple biogas plants (Grauballegaard, Sindal, Outrup, Sønderjysk Biogas Invest) and plans to expand to 300 million m3 of biomethane production capacity.
• SEGEScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership with SEGES (Landbrug & Fødevares knowledge and innovation house) for biogas plant certification documentation and joint development of grass protein technology. SEGES provides credibility and technical expertise for certification of biogas plants and biomass. Also collaborated on the TailorGrass project and research projects including WI-FI (winter feeding of organic sows).
• DAVAFoods / DAKOFOminorOthers · 1 January 2019Vestjyllands Andel held shares in DAVA Foods (trading company) but divested this stake. Through DAKOFO, the company participates in responsible soy sourcing initiatives. Vestjyllands Andel has committed to achieving 100% compliant soy with a 20% annual increase through 2025.
• AdivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Initially 75% majority acquisition (2021), subsequently 100% ownership (2023). Billund-based company that acquires waste products from confectionery and cake industries and converts them into feed additives used in feed production. Supports circular economy and reduces imported raw material needs. 15 employees continue to operate under the same management.
• DanVitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Acquired (initially majority stake, subsequently 100%) advisory and trading company specializing in feed solutions and milking equipment. Provides advisory services within feed solutions and dairy installations, complementing Vestjyllands Andel's product offerings.
• BJ-AgrocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Acquired 70% of shares in July 2024. BJ-Agro is a consulting and trading company that enhances Vestjyllands Andel's position as a one-stop-shop for customers and members. Strengthens advisory and trading capabilities in the agricultural market.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Danish Agro: Denmark's largest agricultural cooperative and direct competitor across compound feed manufacturing, grain trading, crop inputs, and agro-retail. Acquired Hedegaard in 2020 (a transaction where VA also picked up branches), making it the most directly comparable peer in the same geography and product categories.
• DLG (Dansk Landbrugs Grovvareselskab): One of Europe's largest agricultural cooperatives operating in feed, grain, and crop inputs across Northern Europe. Directly comparable in cooperative structure, compound feed manufacturing, grain trading, and European farmer-member model.
• ForFarmers: European leader in compound feed solutions for livestock, with similar product portfolio (pig, cattle, poultry feed) and focus on Total Feed solutions and on-farm advisory. Comparable in feed manufacturing scale, customer base, and geographic spread across Northern Europe.

Regional players

• Lantmännen: Swedish agricultural cooperative operating in grain trading, feed, machinery, and food ingredients. Comparable in cooperative governance model and grain/feed value chain, though primarily serving Swedish and Scandinavian markets rather than Denmark directly.
• Felleskjøpet: Norwegian agricultural cooperative specializing in animal feed, grain, and agricultural supplies. Comparable in cooperative structure and feed manufacturing focus, but operates primarily in Norway with similar livestock customer base (pig and cattle farmers).

Broad incumbents

• Nutreco (Trouw Nutrition / Skretting): Global animal nutrition and aquafeed company owned by SHV Holdings. Directly comparable in livestock feed and premix product lines, though operates at much larger scale and across broader geographies than VA's Danish focus.
• Cargill Animal Nutrition: Global agribusiness and one of the largest animal nutrition players, with extensive feed manufacturing and grain origination. Comparable in compound feed and protein sourcing for livestock, though competing across vastly broader geographies and product categories.
• ADM Animal Nutrition: Global agricultural processor and feed ingredient supplier with significant European presence. Comparable in feed ingredients (protein meals, premixes) and grain trading, though not a direct feed manufacturer in Denmark specifically.

Emerging players

• Hamlet Protein: Danish-headquartered producer of specialty protein ingredients for young animal feed (piglets, calves). Comparable in the alternative protein-for-feed thesis and Danish origin, though focused on a specific niche rather than full-line compound feed manufacturing.

Others

• Danish Crown (andelsejere): Denmark's largest pork cooperative and a strategic data partner of Vestjyllands Andel. Not a feed peer but a critical customer ecosystem whose owner-members form a core demand base for VA's pig feed, and a key enabler of the production optimization data partnership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vestjyllands Andel