Agrana Zucker announced in February it will buy Lemarco’s sugar refining plants in Urziceni (Ialomita county) and Liesti (Galati county), and is currently pending antitrust clearance.
On the Romanian market, Agrana also owns two sugar refineries in Buzau and Roman and markets sugar products under the brands Margaritar and Coronita.
Agrana Zucker is the largest sugar producer in Central and Eastern Europe. The company also supplies starch-based products, fruit preparations for the dairy industry and fruit juice concentrates.
The Austrian group has an annual turnover of around EUR3 billion, with 55 plants and 8,500 employees in 26 countries.
Agrana estimates its turnover will drop to RON958 million in Romania in 2014, compared with RON1.18 billion a year earlier, the company stated.
The company also forecasts a profit of almost RON22 million, from RON101 million losses in 2013.
Austria’s sugar processor Agrana Zucker owns 91.81% of Agrana Romania and the Romanian privatization authority AAAS holds a 4.05% stake.